Trouble
by Nymphchild
Summary: Marco decides to get under the Leon's skin by getting to one of the Deuce's friends. What happens when he starts to actually like her as more than a piece of bait? Can he admit it or will he keep pushing? Will she be able to except who he is or side with Leon? Marco/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Marco decides to get under the Leon's skin by getting to one of the Deuce's friends. What happens when he starts to actually like her as more than a piece of bait? Can he admit it or will he keep pushing?**

**Rated: M for violence, domestic abuse and language. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Deuce's Wild, Marco, Leon or any of the other characters from the film. I only own Joe. **

**Comments and Flames: I looooooooove comments and reviews! Live for them! But if you flame I will delete and report you. There are so few places in the world where we can express ourselves and our imagination without fear. Lets all be nice to eachother.**

**Dedication: This story is written for Knyte with her blessing and inspiration. Love you girly! **

**Chapter One:**

"Hey Joe Joe." Leon said as he opened their front door.

Joanne Poletti stood outside of the door holding a paper grocery bag in her slender arms, filled with food to make him, his mom and Bobby dinner. She was a pretty little thing standing only about five foot three with whirling brunette hair that hung just below her shoulders and big brown eyes. Scooch's cousin had come to live with her uncle and his family about two and a half ears ago after her parents had died in a car crash.

She'd gotten to know the Deuce boys fast and got along with them and their girls well. She took care of them after fights and came when they needed help with family problems…like tonight. Anything to avoid being in her abusive alcoholic uncles house. A few times she had shown up with bruises from taking her little cousins beatings and the boys had roughed her uncle up for it.

"Hey Leon." She replied, shifting the bag as she came into the dirty apartment. "Where's Bobby?"

"In his room." Leon replied taking the bag from her and following her to the kitchen. "Was screaming and yelling at his mother like he was howling at a moon."

Joanne nodded and looked at the broken glass on the floor and the rest of the mess. The two boys were no house keepers and their mother was still going through the grief of losing Ali Boy three years ago. "Take it easy on him Leon. He's just having a tough time."

"Everyone's having a tough time." Leon muttered, lighting a smoke as she started to take things out of the grocery bag. He watched her as he thought about Marco getting out soon. He thought about the bruised that he was sure Joe was hiding for her smart mouth. Yeah, they were all having a tough time these days. "Thanks for doing this."

Joanne smiled at him. "Yeah it's no problem Leon. I've got this."

Leon nodded and sat down with a sigh. "Everything alright at home?" He asked her.

Joanne shrugged her tiny shoulders under the white sleeveless top she was wearing. "I wouldn't know…kind of avoid being there." She reminded him.

Leon nodded and lit up a cigarette, leaning back into the chair. "Scooch at home?" He asked her.

Joanne frowned and shook her head. "Not while I'm not there he's not." She practically spat. When she had moved in it wasn't a surprise that her uncle was just like his brother, her father, had been the same way. She'd be damned if her little cousin took the abuse that she had been getting since before she could walk. "He's at Willies."

Leon grunted getting up. "I gotta go take care of some business…take care of my mom?"

Joe turned to him and nodded with her hands on her hips. "Yeah of course. I'll leave the left overs in the oven for you. I'll straighten up in a bit in here too."

Leon nodded and grabbed her by the back of the neck, kissing her forehead hard. "Don't know what we would do without you little sister." He muttered against her forehead.

* * *

Marco took a deep chug of his beer as he looked around his welcome home party. Yeah plenty of pieces here that he could tap tonight…after he was done with his business. He switched his beer for his smoke as he leaned over the pool table. "How do I get at em. Get under their skin?" He asked.

The other man, Johnny gripped onto the pool stick. "That's easy Marco. That little kid Scooch and his cousin."

"What the fucks a Scooch?"

"That drunk ass hole Gino's kid and niece. Treats the mut like he's his fucking father and her like she's a baby sister. Fucking pretty little piece of ass too. All sweet and innocent looking when she aint bruised up or talking." Johnny responded with a little smirk.

Marco nodded, bobbing his head as a little, sadistic smile appeared on his lips. "Bruised up huh? Easy pickings."

The man raised his eyebrows in consideration. "Yeah if her mouth ever stops flapping. She was my girl I'd pop her one in the face too."

Marco nodded and pulled the smoke away from his lips, gripping the other man's shoulder tight. "I can think of a few ways to get her mouth to stop moving." He said with a smirk. "Where can I find her?"

The other man thought for a minute. "She works at the florists shop off of 9th. She's there all the time when she ain't she's with Leon or another one of those little pussy's."

Marco swayed on his feet, still holding the smoke in between his fingers. "She steady with any of em?"

Johnny snorted. "No, Leon would have a fit if any of them disrespected her in any way."

Marco brought the smoke up to his lips and nodded. "Good shot."

Marco leaned against one of the buildings as he watching the girl through the windows of Willies. He exhaled into the shadowed night air as she sat in front of one of the Deuce boys and cleaned off his open and bloody knuckles while talking to him. She didn't need to focus. It looked like she had done this a million times before.

Johnny was right. He'd followed her over from the florist a few blocks down the street, watching her walk with his head tilted to the side. She was wearing a pair of black three quarter pants that hugged her little ass perfectly as he walked behind her and did his best not to draw attention. She was small with nice little curves. Her perky little breasts were just enough to fit into his hands and her hips had a nice little innocent sway to them as she walked.

Now that he wasn't just looking at her body he had the time to look at her face. It was just as sweet as the rest of her, soft looking with just a tint of black eyeliner. Her lips were pink instead of red and off set her Italian light olive skin perfectly. She looked up at the enemy she was taking care of with big shinning brown eyes and a head of chestnut hair, half of it pinned over her ear with two bobby pins and light waves.

He smirked to himself as he watched her lips move in the window. Tapping that to piss with Leon wouldn't be any big sacrifice on his part. In fact he might just try and sleep with her a few times before throwing her back over to Leon with a broken heart.

He smirked at his own little plan before flicking his cigarette butt away and slipping into the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Joanne checked some of the sprouting blooms on the flower stand she was working on, feeling her eyes weighing heavily from her night of taking care of the Deuces various injuries. The owner of the shop was an old woman who could barely stand up anymore so the majority of the time it was just Joe there, taking care of customers, putting together arrangements, writing cards….not to mention actually taking care of the plants. By 4pm when the owner's son actually came in to close and check the books Joe was almost passed out on the floor. Today she was particularly tired after a long night of making sure the objects her uncle was throwing around in a drunken rage weren't hitting her cousin.

"Well hey there Joe Joe." A dark voice said from behind her. She turned to see one of the Vipers, Jimmy standing behind her. Narrowing her eyes she turned back to the buds and proceeded to ignore him. He really shouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't new. Not that she ignored people based on street names. It was more the fact that Jimmy was well, Jimmy. "Hey I'm fucking talking to you." He said grabbing her arm and turning her around, causing a sharp pain to move up her arm.

"Yeah and I'm ignoring you." She told him, ripping her arm away and spitting her gum out on the ground at his feet. She turned back around to continue the sediment of ignoring him.

"Little bitch!" He whipped her around again and pain exploded across her cheek bone as he slapped her hard. Her neck propped and protested at the blow, sending her head to the side as her mouth filled with blood from her teeth cutting the inside of her cheek. "Gunna keep ignoring me now?"

"Hey." Came a voice from beside them. A man with slicked back hair walked over to them, tossing his cigarette to the side. "What the fuck you think you're doing? Hitting girls in the middle of the fucking street?" He slapped Jimmy hard on the back of the head, glancing at the small brunette with his piercing blue eyes. "Get outta my sight." He told Jimmy, eyes looking his leverage up and down.

"No one cares!" Jimmy told him as he looked at the girl.

That had not been part of the plan that Marco had set up to get into this girls good graces and hopefully bed. He turned back to the other man with a snarl and backhanded him across the face sending him staggering to the side. "What did I just say?!"

Joanne frowned and watched as Jimmy held his jaw and jolted away from them and down the street. The other man rubbed his lips before looking her over. "Let me see." He took hold of her face. "These boys, they get all riled up and can't control themselves." Joanne frowned as he ran his eyes over her cheek. He looked back up at her brown eyes and gave her a little half smile. "What's your name sweetheart?"

Joanne raised an eyebrow and tried to make her voice as non challenging as humanly possible while still not answering his question. "What's yours?"

He laughed. "You don't know?" She shook her head as he released her chin. He watched, amused as she turned her face away and spat a little bit of blood from her mouth. "Sorry he hit you like that." He put in ignoring the question just like she had skated his.

"Like what? In public?" She asked.

He seemed to consider for a second, surprised that she had said anything back, much less something that…jaded. That little innocent look was clearly as deceptive as his knight in shining armor persona. "Yeah sure."

She shook her head, pushing her hair to one side of her neck. His eyes ran up it and saw a dulling bruise there. "It's not the first time I've been hit and it probably wont be the last." She said, rubbing her cheek lightly. "Thanks by the way."

He raised an eyebrow and bit the inside of his cheek, making the small mole on his lip jump. "Are you going to tell me your name?" He asked again.

She looked him over carefully. Danger clearly radiated off of him but she knew that it came off most men around here in waves. She wasn't stupid but her curiosity had always gotten her in trouble. He looked like a handsome enough mystery; that little secretive smirk, dark features, the spider tattoo on the side of his neck… "You first." She said with a little smile.

He leaned against the wall and looked at her closely. "Guess."

Joanne laughed and looked him over again. "Trouble." She told him and he laughed and nodded, lighting up another cigarette with his hands cupped around it and exhaling.

"Close enough." He chuckled raising an eyebrow and waiting for her to tell him her name. They were right. This one did have a sharp little tongue. As long as she wasn't using it to disrespect him he didn't give a fuck.

"You want to know bad enough, you'll figure it out." She told him with a little smile. "Thanks again."

He nodded and looked at her. "Let me know if he tries to hit at you again."

She shook her head as she walked back into the florist shop. "Sure thing Trouble." She told him over her shoulder.

Marco laughed to himself. Yeah manipulating her was going to drive Leon insane but she might just be fun on her own.

* * *

Joe walked into Willies Candy Store to see all of the men joking around while watching a baseball game. Several of them were yelling and cat calling at the television. She shook her head as she took one of the dirt magazines from Tino's hand and slapped his feet off the table. He cursed at her loudly.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" She asked him, shaking her head and smiling as she sat down in one of the chairs next to him.

Tino glared at her playfully. "I'll kiss you with this mouth!" He joked making kissing noises at her and leaning in jokingly.

"Hey! None of that with her!" Leon called, looking over at them. His eyes ran over her face as she laughed, seeing the red mark across her cheek. "Someone take a swing at you sweetie?" He asked her, pushing off the table and away from Betsy. Willie brought her over a soda and put it in front of her with a smile.

Joe took the soda and had a quick sip of it as Leon locked in on her, demanding an answer with his stern expression. "It got taken care of all ready." She told him with a little smile.

Leon pulled up a chair next to her and sat backwards in it. "By who?" Marco was out. He wouldn't put it past him to take a swing at one of their friends to get back at him.

Joe cocked her head to the side. "By me…who else." She joked, making fake punching motions in the air at Tino who laughed and tried to fake block them.

Leon shook his head and took a long drag of his smoke. "Someone takes a swing at you hone you call or come and get one of us. Don't handle it yourself. Betsy, come over here and entertain another girl."

Joe gave him a little smile. "Yeah, I know Leon. I'm good." She wasn't about to say that she wasn't about to get them involved in something as simple as some jerk hitting on her.

She smiled as Leon's beautiful blond girlfriend came over and sat next to her, lighting up a smoke and frowning as she touched the other girls cheek. "We've really got to get you out of that house sweetie." She told her.

Bobby snorted from his spot watching the game. "What she's got to learn to do is shut her mouth." He put in.

Leon shook his head at his brother. "And what would you know about that Bobby?" He laughed making Betsy and Joe grin.

"I know that I'm a man." Bobby put in. "And I know that she gives everyone lip. Maybe if she didn't give so much Gino would forget she was there." He suggested.

Joe leaned back as both Betsy and Leon started yelling at Bobby about how much of an insensitive idiot he was. "Okay okay. I'll explain it. Bobby….you're an idiot." She told him making all of the boys burst into laughter. "See…I just mouthed off and you're not hitting me. Obviously you need to rethink that position."


	3. Chapter 3

**WaterWarrior6: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it!**

**Marulk: I know that Marco was evil but oh my god he just did it so freaking amazingly. Not to mention pulling it off in such a sexy way. I love bad guys! There really need to be more Marco fics out there cause his character was just so easy to love and hate at the same time!**

**Gurl: You know that I thought Bobby was a whinny little bitch. **

**Knyte: You know I love my sass!**

**Coconutcarter: I know! I'm all about the smart mouth.**

**JavaNut: Thank you!**

**Please Read and Review! **

**Chapter Three:**

"Joanne." Marco said as he walked into the shop to see her watering some of the plants. She looked up from where she was crouching down next to the potted ferns at him and smiled lightly. "Your name's Joanne." He asserted with a certain amount of pride. Yeah he had known it yesterday but playing with her seemed like a fun time. It would only make it that much sweeter at the end.

She stood up straight. "Most people just call me Joe or Joe Joe." She told him walking over and around him as his bright blue eyes followed her. "So are you going to tell me your name now?" She asked.

Marco smirked. "You know it…Trouble." He rubbed his lips as she laughed again. It wasn't annoying like most dolls he had heard. It was light and soft but still strong. "So now I know your name, that you're Gino's niece, that you moved to Brookline two and a half years ago and that you're single." He told her with a tight, closed mouth smile.

"Wow," Joe shook her head. "You seem to know a lot about me since last time. So, can I get you some…um…" She looked around the shop wondering what he was doing here. "Flowers?" She scrunched up her nose at the stupidity of the question. Men with spider tattoos on their necks weren't exactly lilly guys.

Marco grinned and looked around as well. He could think of some flower he'd rather take from her instead. He'd been lucky she turned out to be so damned pretty. It was easier playing her that way. She was used to scum bags hitting on her so him doing it wasn't really abnormal for her. Not to mention that it made it easier for him to get it going. His body was already giving himself enough ideas of what he could do to her.

"No, but you can come get a slice of Sicilian with me." He told her, leaning on the counter as she walked around it.

Joanne looked at him closely before stopping her work totally to focus on him. "You know why I call you 'Trouble' sweet talker?" She asked him. He leaned in over the barrier, quirking an eyebrow. "Because guys like you only do one thing with girls like me."

"Oh yeah?" He asked. "What's that?"

Joe bit the outside of her left bottom lip and leaned in too. "Get us hurt. It happened to my mother and her mother before her. It's going to happen to my daughters and their daughters." She pushed back from the counter as his eyes followed the movement of her lips before snapping back up to hers.

"Sounds like a family tradition. You wouldn't want to break that." He watched as she shook her head with a smile. "Come on _Joe, _it's just a slice."

Joe smiled to herself. She glanced back at him. He was a good looking man, different than the street boys she was used to hitting on her. She had to admit that she liked that he was trying. And she was curious. She was always way too curious for her own good. "I get off in an hour. Where do you want me to meet you?"

"Gignoms." He told her, glad that she had given in before he lost his temper. "Best Sicilian in Brookline."

Joe shook her head. "I can't go there…that's Viper territory."

"And you don't look like a greaser." He reminded her. She looked doubtful. "I'll come here and get you. You saw what I did to Jimmy and he just took it. You may not know my name, but do you think anyone is going to come after you while you're standing beside me?"

Joanne gave him a little one sided smile while considering him. "If I say no you're going to keep coming in here and asking aren't you?"

He would have been mad if she wasn't so obviously giving in, that little sly smile twisting her pretty pink lips. "I'll do more than ask." He wondered if it sounded as much like a threat as it did in his head.

Joe pursed her lips together. "I'll be ready in an hour."

* * *

"Okay," Joe said as they walked down the street a slice in each of their hands. Marco took a bite of his, looking to his side at her. She was a bouncy little thing but not to the point of annoying, more just kind of fun to watch. "So I don't know you're name…but I know that you're a Viper."

He chewed and swallowed. He'd spread the word through the Vipers and the streets not to use his name now that he knew she didn't know who he was. All she knew was that he was a Viper but it didn't seem to bother her enough for her to not be curious about him. "And how do you know that?"

She pointed to the street sign to indicate where they were and he grinned. "I know that you're persistent."

"Um hum," He watched as she sucked some of the marinara sauce off her thumb, smirking to himself as he imagined those lips wrapped around his cock. He took another bite and looked away as he jerked under his cloths. He was a bad guy and he knew it. He'd been in prison for three years and the one girl he had been with at his welcome home party hadn't been nearly as welcoming as the warm body now walking beside him. He was just a man after all.

"I know you liked food…a lot." She looked over at him as he shoved the crust into his mouth. "And I can tell you're the kind of guy that doesn't take shit from anyone."

He gave a little laughing smirk as they saw her building come into view. "Sweetheart you've got no idea."

He stopped in front of the steps as she did and lit up a cigarette. This was easy…he'd get a crack at her, tell her his name as he filled her, leave before she could sit up and have her go running to Leon crying about her lost virtue and her broken little heart. Perfect fucking plan. Leon would get all pissed off and rage high and come after him and he could slit that mother fucking snitches throat.

Joe bit into her lip as she looked at him, standing on one of the steps so that she was almost eye level with him. Some part of her knew that she should be scared…but she wasn't. "So what I want to know is why I haven't seen you in the two and a half years I've been here?"

Marco raised an eyebrow at her. "Maybe I have been and you just haven't noticed before." He commented.

Joe pushed her tongue into the side of her mouth, both annoyed and amused with the mystery. "I'm pretty sure I would have noticed you by now," She watched the smoke move around his clear blue eyes as he tried to hide the cocky smile on his face with his cigarette. "And I'm pretty sure you know that too."

Marco let out a genuine smile, surprised and a bit pleased. He hated flirting. HATED it. If he wanted a girl he didn't want to have to deal with flirting. She either wanted him or she didn't. If she wanted him then they could get to it. If she didn't than there was no point in wasting his time. But this…this was just a little bit different. "Call it an extended business trip." He told her in a low voice.

Joe seemed to consider for a moment, not sure if she really wanted him to tell her or her to figure it out on her own. "Thanks for the slice." She finally told him with a smile as she walked up the steps. He followed after her, prepared to follow her in when she turned. "Night."

Marco narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to take me up there?"

Joe cocked her head to the side at him. "Even if I knew your name, which I don't, I share a room with my little cousin." She told him. "And I really don't think he's ready to see that even with all the dirty magazines the boys give him." Besides, a man like the one standing in front of her meeting her uncle? That would not be good for anyone involved.

Marco frowned and pulled the cigarette from his mouth. "You really care about that kid huh?" He asked her, gauging the look of affection that passed over her pretty soft features.

"More than anything….someone has to right?" She told him truthfully, pushing the door open behind her. "Good night Trouble." She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his cheek, surprising him. No woman had ever dared do that to him before. Even if they didn't know who he was they seemed to know that it wasn't a good idea. She pulled away and disappeared behind the door as he starred after her frowning.

"Fuck." He muttered to himself as he put his hand to his cheek for a moment, surprised that it still carried her warmth. He licked his lip and refused to admit that he liked it.

What did he know about her? He knew that she was fucking cute as hell. Obviously. He knew that she had a mouth on her that got her into trouble. He knew that she refrained from using it on him which was smart. He knew that she loved that little kid…

A bike. He needed a freaking bike. Glancing up he heard crashing suddenly coming from the apartments above and frowned.

Joe jumped to the side when she got into the apartment, seeing an old beer bottle flying across the room and nearly sticking her in the head. Instead it hit the wall behind her and shattered in an array of clattering shards and drops of liquid.

"Where have you been you little slut!?" Gino yelled.

Joe quickly looked around from where she had ducked. Her aunt was cowering in the corner of the kitchen, wails escaping her as her husband continued on the tirade that she could only assume had been going on for a while.

"Out." Joe said plainly, looking around for her cousin. "Where's Scooch?" She asked hoping that either her aunt or uncle would answer so that she could either grab him and make a run for it or just make a run for it in general.

"Out with who?" Her uncle bellowed. "Should have known better taking you in. Hanging with all them punk boys! Probably sluttin your way around town."

"That's me…banging half of Brookline before…" She looked over at the wall clock quickly. "Eight thirty. Scooch!" She yelled, ducking away before her uncle could grab her arm. When she got no answer she slipped around her drunken stumbling uncle and made a run for the door again, narrowly making it out and closing it before she heard her uncle stumble and fall from chasing her.

That was why she never left her little cousin alone there. She slipped down the hall, taking the stairs back down two at a time and pushing the front doors to the building open with more force than she probably needed to.

Marco slipped into one of the alleyways across the street and watched as she immerged from the doors again. He frowned, flicking ash off his cigarette, wondering if she had been blowing him off when she had said goodnight. She took several steps away from the doors and onto the street and stopped as if she just realized that she didn't know where she was going. She leaned her tiny body back against the wall and seemed to take a deep breath before picking what looked like a shard of glass off her shoulder and tossing it to the ground angrily.

He licked his lips for a moment as he watched. This brood might not want a savior but it sure as hell looked like she needed one. Too bad that only person who seemed to notice was nothing short of the devil.


	4. Chapter 4

**WaterWarrior6: Lol sure! Lets just braid them in his hair! He'll love that! :P Oh…oh no. He just shanked me in the stomach for even thinking about it. Never mind….he's a dandelion kinda guy.**

**knyte: Lol stalking is always fun!**

**gurl3677: I thought that was a nice way of putting it.**

**marulk: Oh she will do more than say something to annoy him…trust me. I have a plan!**

**Javanut: Good Wow?**

**Chapter Four:**

Joanne slipped through the front door of the apartment building and onto the street. She took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to calm her nerves after her uncle yelling and throwing everything he could get his hands on around the apartment. She was alright about leaving because she already knew that Scooch was out, probably down at the candy shop with the boys and safe.

"Joe!" She heard Scooch's voice yell. She looked up and saw him riding around on a shinny, brand new, black bike, a delighted youthful smile on his face as he showed it off.

"Nice bike." She told him apprehensively as he rode around in a circle before stopping in front of a blue and white convertible.

Marco leaned up against it, his arms crossed over his chest and a small smile appearing on his lips as Scooch rolled up to him and stopped. "You like it kid?" Marco asked leaning down and checking the tires while still looking up at the beautiful girl in front of him. She looked damn near edible again…beautiful really if he was willing to think like that. Which of course he wasn't.

"Yeah!"

Joe cautiously walked up towards them biting the inside of her cheek. "See now I know you're trouble," She said walking up to him as Scooch continued to ride. Marco stood up straight and leaned back against the car again. "No man does something like that and doesn't expect something out of it."

Marco narrowed his eyes as anger sparked in his gut at her maybe figuring him out. She should be falling all over herself for him at this move. He pursed his lips and took a breath in threw his nose as she stepped closer. Still her big brown eyes looked at him with stunned disbelief. As he let it out he saw that she actually hadn't been doubting him and she wasn't giving him lip. She just didn't know how to take someone being nice. He did after all have ulterior motives. She was watching Scooch ride as Marco studied her face for a moment, standing closer together than they had last night.

"Just what every man wants." He found himself murmuring.

Joe smiled up at him as he pushed himself off the car so that they were standing almost chest to chest. "I think we both know what that is." She told him with a joking grin. She had to admit: the bike the showing up, that was unexpected. She wanted to be suspicious and not trust him but she could come back to that later when Scooch didn't look so….happy.

Marco put on his best innocent expression. He knew it must look odd because it sure as hell felt it. "The love of a sweet woman?" He tried with a lopsided grin.

Joe laughed and stepped back. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

Marco gave a little grunt and reached out, grabbing her upper arm and pulling her back to where she had been directly in front of him, toes almost touching. "Come out with me tonight."

It wasn't a request. Joe knew that. "I can't tonight." She told him quietly. She saw the spark of anger light in his eyes again and watched it flame in the blue orbs until she was sure he was going to burst into flames. "I want to but I can't. The boys are doing something and I have been _commanded _to stay with Leon's girlfriend in case anything goes down."

Fucking Leon, Marco thought to himself. He had every intention of getting her into trouble and then bailing her out of it. Now he was just itching for a fight. If those boys were going to be out he was sure he could get one too.

"You always do what them Deuce boys say?" He somehow doubted that at the way that she said 'commanded' with such indignity. For someone he was pretty sure was being abused (by someone besides him for once) she sure had an attitude on her. He liked that as long as it wasn't directed at him.

Joe looked down at his hand on her arm as it loosened and began to stroke the inside of her forearm with his thumb. "Not always." She said with a hint of a sly smile. "So what's the bike for?" She asked, nodding over to where Scooch was disappearing down the street with the new bicycle.

Marco pushed his tongue into the side of his cheek as she looked back up at him with her big chocolate eyes. "To make you like me…is it working?" He said truthfully.

Joe couldn't help but smile. She knew that this mystery man was manipulating her. She assumed it was to make her like him more. Men were known to do that: Chocolate, candy, flowers. She was rather touched that he had pulled this after asking her how much she cared about the boy last night. It was so much better than the normal things guys tried to do to get a woman to like them.

She looked down at his chest, that small smile playing on her lips and Marco knew the answer. "Yeah it is." She mumbled.

Marco nodded to himself, glancing in the direction where Scooch had ridden. He couldn't be caught here with her, not yet. "Til next time." He told her, pointing at his cheek. He couldn't help it. He wanted another kiss for some reason. God knew what reason; Maybe just to affirm to himself that he was making some progress here. Yeah, that was it. It's not like he would actually want some girl to give him an innocent kiss when she wasn't giving ass.

Joe laughed and pushed herself up on her toes, giving him another peck on the cheek. When she was about to pull away his hand came up and gripped the back of her neck tight, holding her there. She smelled good and felt soft, even her lips. He wanted to disappear in that…had since last night.

"Again." He commanded in a firm but low voice.

She couldn't tell if the shiver that passed through her was fear at the tone or something more pleasant but unable to move away she pressed her lips back against him as his hand squeezed the back of her neck tightly. Its not as though she didn't want to anyway so it was less of a command than an affirmation of what she wanted.

"Tell me your name?" She asked again against his cheek. "So I know who to send a thank you note to."

Marco let out a little grin as he loosened his grip. "No." He muttered, letting her go and enjoying the look of slight disappointment on her face. "Tell the kid I said enjoy the bike." He muttered getting back in the car and throwing his arm over the back of the seat.

Joanne rolled her eyes once he was out of view, sure that it wasn't a good idea to do in his presence.

* * *

"Joe!"

Joe looked up from where she was sitting in the more familiar pizza parlor with Betsy. The blond woman had been grilling her for hours on her mystery man but Joe wasn't giving away any details. She didn't want Leon and the rest of the boys to find out that someone was looking at her…much less a Viper. Trouble was already in enough trouble for going after her she was sure. She didn't need the over testosterone-ed pack of males to get any more amped up.

"What?" She asked as Scooch ran up to them.

Scooch was panting for breath. "The guys…there was a fight!"

Betsy stood up as Joe shoved the last bite of the sice she was eating into her mouth. Scooch tugged on her arm to hurry her and she stood as she whipped off her hands. "Okay okay!" She told him, following him out the door in the evening and down to Willies.

"Where's Leon?" Betsy asked when they went into the candy shop, sounding panicked.

"Wasn't there." Bobby told her, holding an icepack up to his inclined nose. "He's coming though."

Joe looked around with a frown and a shake of her head. Sighing to herself she pulled her hair back as she took in the array of split lips, broken noses, open eyebrows and swelling cheeks. Years of physical abuse had taught her own to clean up a mess and it helped that her mother had been a nurse. If Joe had her way she would have gone to nursing school but that was out of the question with the money that was needed.

"Who's first?" She asked, watching as every man's hand in the room went up while she went to retrieve the first aid kit from under the counter.

Joe glanced up from Bobby's nose as she saw Leon come in, raising his hands in irritation. "What the hell happened out there?!" Leon yelled.

"I don't know man!" Bobby jolted his head towards his brother and Joe growled, forcing his chin back.

"Come on! I don't want to be here all night!" Joe told him as she pushed the rag back up against his face.

Bobby kept facing her as Leon came to stand behind where Joe was sitting so that he could look at his brother. "They just came out of no where!" Leon looked around at all of the bloody faces and rubbed his hands in his hair. "There were like 15 of them or some shit. Marco was with 'em. Probably checking out to see if his crew was still in shape."

"Looks like they're in pretty good shape." Joe muttered over her shoulder to Leon. He gave her a little nod as he looked around the room again gripping her shoulder.

Bobby rolled his eyes as she took the rag away and put a nose strip on him to help with his breathing. "Whatever one of our guys at least took a chunk out of Marco!" Some of the others hooted and howled their delight at themselves.

Joe pushed the chair back as went to rinse her hands off in the sink behind the counter. Betsy leaned up in one of the stools across from her and watched.

Leon shouted for them all to shut it and looked around. "No one goes after Marco you hear me!? He's slit your fucking throats as soon as look at you!" Joe glanced over her shoulder at the anger of his voice. "Everyone get cleaned up and get home!" Leon sighed as they all grumbled and looked around, seeing the two woman as Joe dried off her hands. "Where were you two?"

"Pizza parlor." Betsy told him.

Leon nodded. "And you stayed together right?" He didn't want Marco Vendetti anywhere either of these two…most of all if they were alone.

"Just like you said Leon." Betsy replied with a nod.

"Okay good." Leon muttered nodding. "Joe Joe you're going straight home right?"

Joe nodded. "Before I turn into a pumpkin." She shot back.

Leon pulled her over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Be careful." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. "Got something for you today…saw that Scooch got a new bike from some friend of yours. Thought you might want a present."

"Oh Leon couldn't you have just gotten her a compact mirror?" Betsy asked her boyfriend as Joe took the cool, shinny object in her hands. It didn't weigh much but was enough to make her remember that she had it.

Leon shook his head at Betsy and looked back at Joe. "You want a compact hon?"

Joe flipped open the switch blade and looked at the edge. "No. I like this." She told him, mezmorised for a second by the sharp instrument. She looked back up at Leon. "Do you really think it's a good idea to talk this Marco guy up so big?"

Leon frowned at her as she retracted the blade, grinning again when she jumped at the sharp movement. "What do you mean?"

Joe shrugged as Betsy sat tense beside her. "I mean if you talk him up to be this god they are all going to think he's unkillable."

Leon starred at her for a moment. "I'm not talking him up to be god. I'm talking him up to be the devil!" He spat.

"The devil strikes me as hard to kill too." Joe muttered.

Leon shook his head and put a hand on each of her arms. "You don't need to worry about that Joe Joe. You just go home and be careful."

Joe nodded. It wasn't the things outside of her apartment that scared her…that made her feel like she could wake up with a knife in the back. "Yeah sure Leon. No dark ally's."

Joe sighed as she walked down the street towards her apartment. It struck her that Leon keeping the girls out of the loop when he was obviously so worried wasn't a good idea…for any of them. She didn't even know what this Marco guy looked like. All she knew was that he was a dealer and Leon held him responsible for Ali boy's death.

She glanced up as she saw a figure leaning on the railing of her apartment buildings fire escape, smoke curling around the dark form. As she got closer the form straightened up and looked down at her. Joe shook her head to herself and began to climb the fire escape instead of the apartment steps.


	5. Chapter 5

**WaterWarrior: He can come after me anytime. Sexy evil Mo-fo!**

**Marulk: You're wish is my command! On the new chapter. **

**Knyte: She does work for a florist. I bet flowers are a bit old for her.**

**Gurl: Thanks for the recommend Twinny!**

**So, If you haven't read any of my other stories…I am a sick little girl…very sick. And there are some sick thoughts in this chapter so I just thought I should warn you!**

**If you are reading this story please comment!**

**Chapter 5:**

"You know," Joe said as she came up onto the platform where Marco was standing. "I just got finished patching up some of those idiots from you all's brawl. This Marco guy of yours must really know how to rile you all up for a fight." She told him with a little half smile.

Marco flicked his smoke to the side, pursing his lips together. "Yeah…yeah he's an animal alright." He glanced back at her as he eyes trained on the rip in his shirt. He looked down at it. "One of your idiots may have gotten lucky." He muttered in irritation.

Joe nodded. "Yeah I guess that happens….stay here for a second?" He watched as she walked over to the window and yanked it up and open, climbing through it. He rubbed his lips as he watched her little ass disappear through it, smirking to himself despite the pain in his chest.

He didn't know exactly why he had come over here after the fight. He knew why he'd started it…she couldn't come out and he was pissed. Yeah he wanted to know how good his guys still were, see what the new recruits had in them but he was mostly frustrated. It was like he had a new toy and fucking Leon of all people said that he couldn't play with it! That just plain pissed him off.

He sat down on the metal platform and pulled his jacket from himself, tossing it to the side carelessly. Glancing up he saw Joanne coming back out with a brown bag in her hands. She pushed it out first and than pulled herself through the window with practice. It was obvious that she was used to maneuvering her little body through window to sneak out and in.

She walked back over to him and pulled the bag over, sitting in front of him. "Shirt too." She muttered as she rummaged through the bag. Marco nodded and pulled it over his head, not really caring about the muttered command since he was sure that being shirtless in front of her would only help him.

Joe glanced at his strong chest and picked up the anticeptic from the bag.

Marco watched her face with a raised eyebrow. "You alright there sweetheart." He teased.

Joe glanced up at him. "You're not the first guy I've seen shirtless Trouble." She told him, pouring some of the liquid onto a rag. With her other hand she reached out and gauged the cut with her fingers, gently moving the edges to see how deep it went. "Doesn't look like you'll need stitches but this is going to sting." She put the rage to the cut and he jerked slightly. "Don't hit me." She muttered.

Marco furrowed his eyebrows at the last part. "Where'd you learn to do all this stuff? Taking care of me and them boys?"

Joe shrugged. "When you get…hurt as much as I have you learn how to take care of your own problems." She muttered. Marco leaned slightly back and nodded. Joe looked up at his face before reaching her hand out slowly, raising her eyebrows for permission. Marco let her turn his face to the side where one of the boys…probably Bobby had sucker punched him. "Not bad." She told him and he nodded. "So…" she said slowly. "If you want me to like you, you should probably tell me more about yourself. It doesn't have to be your name." She added the last part quickly as his blue eyes snapped to her.

Marco bit the inside of his cheek. He should have just raped her. Now he had to tell her shit. "Like what?"

Joe looked down his strong arms slowly before taking his hand and flipping his arm over to look at the dissipating track marks. "Why did you stop heroin?" She asked him slowly. She could clearly tell that the tracks were old and fading. His eyes looked at her clearly and he seemed more than lucid.

Marco frowned. "Never tap into your own stock. Drug dealer rule one." He muttered watching her hand on the inside of his arm.

She gave a little smile. "I'm pretty sure Jimmy would disagree with that."

"That's 'cause Jimmy's a fucking junkie." Marco found his voice hitched with a little bit of amusement.

"Okay…I definetly agree with you on that." She laughed, still holding the clothe to his chest. Her fingers touched his skin from time to time as she moved it, making him want to either jump back from her or jump on top of her.

"You're turn…" Marco told her. "Why do you let yourself get beat up?"

Joe shifted and he watched her pretty pink lips work against each other. "I can take it. I have been for twenty two years. Before I couldn't defend myself but when I got here I guess…" She stopped and looked away from him. "I just think better me who knows how to handle it than Scooch, right?"

"Handle it." He repeated slowly. He'd handle it for her if she asked, he admitted to himself. Just to make sure that her skin didn't get messed up.

"Yeah," Joe took the rag away and looked back into the bag. "I mean ways to cave in on myself so the punches and hits don't hurt as much; block the vitals; deal with the pain…" She stopped and shook her head, clearly feeling as uncomfortable as he did for the moment. Explaining this to him was like…explaining baseball to a dog. He had no concept of what it was like to be a woman or under someone elses control. He was used to being the one controlling. "When did you start dealing?" He raised an eyebrow. "You're a Viper…so you deal."

"Long time ago." He muttered. "Think I was like twelve or something right after my dad left." He was surprised that he had kept going, taken aback and frustrated at his own inability to control his mouth. That wasn't like him at all. He suddenly felt really…uncomfortable.

"Why?" Joe asked as she pulled some gauze out of the bag.

"That's two fucking questions." He snapped. "You and Leon ever have a thing?"

Joe frowned as she tore off a piece of tape with her teeth. "What do you mean a thing?" She asked as his eyes followed her mouth.

"I mean have you fucked him." Marco said bluntly.

She laughed and shook her head. "No. Never ever ever." She looked at him closely. "And never will."

Marco chuckled at the slightly disgusted face she made. "You ever fucked anyone?" Joe rolled her eyes. "Don't you_ ever_ roll your eyes at me Joanne." He hissed angrily. He was getting too personal with this one. He hadn't even considered hitting her, partially because he doubted it would do any good. The other part….no the other part didn't matter. "Answer the damned question."

"One guy." She told him bluntly. "3 years ago before I left Queens. _Horrible._"

Marco leaned back as she started to roll the gauze over the cut. Okay, so he wasn't going to be violating a virgin. Somehow he had always factored that into his plan but he was glad for some reason at this point that he wasn't.

"Leon just takes care of Scooch. He's a good father figure for him to have around. Better than Gino." She gave a little smile and Marco felt a bit of anger boiling in his that she would talk about that snitch with such affection. "He takes care of him."

Marco nodded pushing back the bile raising annoyance and anger. "Who do you take care of?" He muttered.

Joe gave a little shake of her head, pushing down the blush as she moved to put the tape onto his skin. She didn't know why she was more embarrassed of saying this to the shirtless man in front of her than she was about saying that she'd only slept with one person before…but she was. "I'm taking care of you right now aren't I?" She said calmly, her eyes darting up to his.

Annie walked down the street carrying two bags of groceries in her hands. Looking around she made sure that no one was following her or on the street. She really didn't want to go back to her brothers apartment but what choice did she have? Her mother was there and she should not be leaving her with Jimmy. Not even for a second!

Glancing up she heard voices from the fire escape and stopped. No that couldn't be right. Cautiously she looked up and across the street.

"What?" She whispered to herself as she saw Marco Vendetti sitting with none other than Leon's little pet sister Joanne Poletti. Shirtless. On a fire escape. After dark. What the hell was going on? Ducking out of view she hurried away.

Marco nodded and pursed his lips together. He wondered who took care of her than. Nobody if he was sitting out here with her right now. No one would let someone like her sit out here with him if they really gave a shit about her. It briefly occurred to him that in his life he had never even thought about taking care of another human being and here he was, sitting with someone who he was manipulating, who didn't know his name and she was taking better care of him than anyone ever had in his life.

Joe let out an uneasy breath as his hand came up from the platform and pushed her hair over her shoulder, fingers dragging along the almost gone bruise there. His tongue darted out across his bottom lips as he pushed himself forward off the hand behind him. It made her hand jerk and hit the gauze on his chest.

Marco hissed in pain and frustration. He grabbed her wrist so hard that he was sure he might give her a bruise there too, yanking it away from him. He shouldn't be trying to kiss her! Not here! He should be trying to fuck her and that wasn't going to happen on a fucking fire escape! He shouldn't be interested in her situation! He shouldn't be telling her ANYTHING! He glared at her but she didn't seem scared. She was looking at his hand on her wrist, tensing it but not freaking out.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not scared are you?" He muttered. She wasn't! Not even a little bit!

Joe frowned. Was she meant to be? Didn't this happen all the time? "What are you going to do?" She asked with actual curiosity. "Punch me?"

Marco growled deep in his throat. No hitting her wouldn't do any good. He doubted that he could even scare her with that seeing as when she went back through that window it's what was waiting for her on the other side. "I could throw you off this fire escape." He jerked her wrist closer to the edge, testing her.

Joanne frowned and pursed her lips as she looked the five stories down before licking her lips and looking back at him, catching his burning eyes squarely. "There are worse things than dying Trouble."

Marco frowned and looked at his new toy through narrowed eyes, his jaw tight. He hated that he _didn't_ hate this girl. Hell, he didn't even dislike her after her saying something like that.

"Fuck." He muttered, releasing her wrist and grabbing his shirt and jacket. He pulled them over his head. "The money." He finally said. Joe quirked an eyebrow at the shift in conversation. "I started dealing because I liked the money." He told her as he pushed himself up.

Joe nodded as she watched him walk towards the ladder. Twelve year olds didn't like piles of money, she thought to herself as she watched him start to climb down the steps. They liked when they had food on the table. She watched as he climbed down the fire escape and jumped the last few rungs.

"Bye Joe." He called up grudgingly, his lips curling with annoyance at both her and himself.

Joe sat back against the railing, dangling her legs over the edge as she watched him walk away without waiting for a response. "Bye Trouble." She muttered to herself, pretty sure that it was the last time she was going to see him. It was probably for the best, she thought, resting her arms on the railing. She knew that more violent men in her life that wanted to test her resolve was the last thing that she needed. But she was too interested now.

* * *

Annie set the grocery bags down on the kitchen table in front of Jimmy as he laughed to himself, clearly high as a kite. His eyes were watery and rimmed with red from his day in the bathroom shooting junk and drinking.

Annie looked over at her mother dancing to Frosty the Snow Man. She glanced back at her brother. "Whats Marco Vendetti doing over with that Joanne girl?" She asked, knowing that Jimmy always got more talkative when he was high.

Jimmy's face sobered up, if only a fraction. "What do you think he's doing?...You would know all about it!"

Annie crossed her arms. "There are easier people to get laid with." She muttered.

Jimmy laughed. "What one of your velvets?" He shook his cigarette in her face. "Marco's got a plan. Marco's always got a mother fucking plan." He seemed to try on reflect on that for a moment but his brain was having a hard time functioning. "You're not going to say a fucking word Annie. Not to her…not to your little boyfriend…"

"And why wouldn't I do that?"

Jimmy jolted up and pushed her into one of the walls as their mother started to cry. "I got enough to worry about with Marco without you running your whore mouth so just keep it shut!" Jimmy hissed.

Annie's eyes widened. "What do you gotta worry about with Marco?" She asked.

Jimmy frowned before breaking out into drug induced laughter again. "None of your business as long as you keep your mouth shut."


	6. Chapter 6

**Leyshla Gisel: I know! Everything with Marco is a tensed up situation right!? Glad to see you've joined the party! **

**Melissaax3: Evil just looks so damn good!**

**JavaNut: Yep! **

**Coconutcarter: LOl yeah. I don't know if its more of a not scared or the thought "what's the worst that he can do that hasn't already been done to me?"**

**Waterwarrior: I am really happy that you are glad I'm keeping him in character. I still want him to be evil…just not the devil. I mean he is a man so he can be both good and bad. I just don't think he's ever really had a reason to be good. Its not like Leon was a saint. How many people did he almost or let get killed because he was upset that his brother was a drug addict? **

**Knyte: Stupid Jimmy….**

**Gurl: So Marco right? I might actually like someone so what am I going to do about it? I'm going to threaten to throw her off a five story drop. Yeah that will work. Good job Marco. **

**Chapter Six:**

Joe spun the switchblade in her hand absently as she stood behind the counter. The store had been far away enough from Willies that It hadn't been totally trashed last night. Not that it was completely unscaved. The front widow had been shattered but it could have been worse than that.

She sighed. She should really just think about getting out of Brooklyn. There was too much danger here and she knew it. She knew that Leon would do his best to protect them all but her had enough to worry about with his mother, brother and Betsy to think about. He'd watch over Scooch and take care of him because he was like the boy's father. Leon cared about her sure, but he had more than enough to deal with. If she stayed, that's what she would be: just the little girl who watched over their families and cleaned them up after a brawl. They couldn't keep an eye on her ever second of every day. Her uncle and the presence of 'Trouble' in her life clearly proved that.

Her mind flashed to the shirtless man who had been on her balcony three nights ago that she hadn't seen since. She knew he was dangerous….that was more than obvious. But he actually hadn't done anything remotely bad since he had first met her. He'd snapped the other night sure but she had seen Leon snap a million times over the past few years. He was a good looking bad guy too…she couldn't hide from that when he had sat on her balcony shirtless the other night. He had that dangerous quality that had always pulled her in.

Shaking her head to herself she stopped her circled with the handle of the little bade and looked at the handle, feeling something etched into the metal. She frowned as she tried to make out the worn old engraving. The boys always took stuff off of their opponetes after a fight. It was kind of like an insult on top of injury thing. Leon must have pulled it off someone. It looked like two letters…N…something. Maybe an M? The second one was too worn down for her to figure out.

She tucked it into her pocket as she heard the bell on the door clink and glanced over. It wasn't a customer that came in though. Trouble walked through the door like he owned the place and was waiting for his parade to start. She looked back down at the ledger in front of her and shook her head in wild annoyance.

Marco frowned and looked around, seeing the broken window and resisting the urge to swear. He had told his men to stay away from this side of the street for a reason, dammit! He'd been thinking about this a lot over the past few days…too much really. So what if he didn't dislike the little smart mouthed bitch? That would just make his time making her fall for him less irritating. Hell, how mad would Leon be if he pulled her into him and she sided with evil Marco? So fucking mad…it would be great.

Walking over he placed himself right in front of her and waiting until she couldn't resist the urge to glance up at his. "Hey Joe…can I talk to you for a second?" He said in his softest most innocent voice.

Joe looked back down at the ledger. "Busy." She told him turning the page. "Just like you've been for the past three days." She nodded over to the broken window.

Marco frowned and looked over at the window she nodded to. "They weren't supposed to break that." He told her in a low voice.

Joe cocked an eyebrow though she was still looking down at the ledger. "Apparently Marco didn't agree with you." She muttered.

Marco took a deep breath and shook his head. Marco sure as fuck agreed with him. "I'll pay for the fucking window Joe." He muttered as he rubbed his lips. "Come out with me again…you couldn't the other night and I know I've been working…"

Joe looked up at him. "Why do I get the feeling that you're going to get me killed?" He leaned forward and furrowed his eyebrows in question. "Every time I look at you I just…" Joe tried to put it together in her head. "I just feel like I'm getting in way over my head."

Marco gave her a little smile, unable to stop himself. "Cause I'm dark and mysterious…a little bit dangerous," He gave her a once over. "And I think you kinda like that." Joe let out a little laugh and shook her head at how right he was. He couldn't help but think he liked the sound of it a bit too much.

They both looked over as the door opened again. Marco tensed for a moment, thinking that maybe Leon or one of his boys was walking in. The woman that did waltz in was no better. He knew who she was immediately. Misty Poncheto….one of the Velvets. She was tall, her ridiculously high heels making her even taller, but they had looked good when he had bent her over the pool table. She also happened to be the one that he had tapped at his home coming party. It's not that she was bad…but she wasn't great. Still he'd spent just about three years in jail so anything would have felt good. She very well could be horrible.

"Well hey there M-"

"Hey Misty." He said casually, cutting her off from saying his name. "You know Joanne?"

Misty looked over the counter and the short pretty girl, sizing her up. "Um, no." She said with a hint of indigence. "I haven't heard from you since your party." She tried, completely ignoring the other woman's presence.

Marco shook his head. "No you haven't." He said dryly. He glanced back at Joanne, wanting to be sure he wasn't losing her with this. She leaned against the counter watching both of them with unconcealed curiosity. She also looked like she was sizing the other woman up with those big dark eyes…checking to see if she was competition maybe? Marco smirked to himself. "So what do you think?" He asked her, reverting back to their conversation.

Joe turned her attention back to him with a little smile, happy that he seemed un phased by the woman who was now moving with a sway towards him. She was about to answer when the hussy cut her off.

"I think that I'm more interesting than whatever you're talking about." Misty put in.

Marco was about to give the woman a verbal tongue lashing for interrupting him (Probably followed by a physical one later) but Joe surprisingly got there first, shocking him.

Joe narrowed her eyes at the woman in annoyance, stepping around the counter and in front of Trouble. "Excuse me? Can't you see we are trying to have a conversation here?" She spat out.

Marco starred at the petite spit fire in front of him for a moment in stunned disbelief for a moment before a smile curled his lips. He started to rub them as he waited to see what happened next. He kind of wanted Misty to say something stupid to see if the girl that looked like she had two angels on each of her shoulders would hit her. He _really_ wanted to see Joe hit someone….

Misty stared at her in shock before looking over the young woman's shoulder at Marco. He quirked an eyebrow, continuing to rub his lips to hide his smirk.

Joe rolled her eyes at the woman. "Don't look at him. I'm the one who you're interrupting. So either buy something or get out."

The last part came out so low and threatening that Marco was all too aware that he was actually getting a bit turned on by the voice and threat. Sure he didn't like it when she or anyone else talked back to him but seeing her take down another woman with it over him? What man wouldn't like that?

"Or what?" Misty snapped back.

Joe frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Or you're going to be really glad that the window is already broken." She hissed in annoyance. She doubted that she could even push the woman but with those teetering high heels she could take a shot.

Misty huffed before she turned around and stormed out. Joe blew a strand of hair from her face as she watched her leave before turning back to Marco.

"Stupid bitch!" Misty called through the broken window.

Joe rolled her eyes and Marco let out a full on smile this time since it wasn't directed at him. "Desperate whore!" She yelled back. She honestly didn't know why she did it. It wasn't like she was with Trouble. She didn't even know his real name. Still she couldn't deny that she was a bit jealous that the hussy and the man in front of her had obviously had a 'thing' as he called it.

Marco tried to hide his grin of pleasure, definitely feeling a bit of tightening below his belt. "So…after that you'll come out with me right?"

Joe let out a long breath and looked over his handsome face. "After that I'm sure that you're not the kind of man who asks a woman to come out with him." She responded, rotating her shoulders to rid them of the tenseness that had built up in the last five to ten minutes.

Marco nodded, more to himself than her before reaching his hand out and running the back of his fingers along her cheek with a little sweet smile that he was fully aware would drive most girls insane. "I'm asking you to come out with me…rid me of my evil ways." He joked the last part.

Joe cocked her head to the side, trying to absorb the soft touch and pushing his fingers more into the soft skin unintentionally. "I know what you're doing…that little smile, that soft voice…" She told him. "I'm fully aware that you're coaxing me into this."

Marco gave a little chuckle and drummed his fist on the counter. "I'll come get you here at seven." He told her stepping back. "Try not to get into too much trouble without me."

Joe shook her head and watched him leave. "Wouldn't dream of it." She muttered.

* * *

"You have so much hair!" Betsy complained as she took the curling iron to Joes locks. She looked down at the girl sitting in front of her with a little smile.

"Curse of the Italian." Joe commented with a smile. When she had told Betsy that she was going out tonight the other woman had gone into full blown date mode even when Joe had insisted that she was just going to grab dinner with a friend. The only reason she had even mentioned it was so that Betsy would keep an eye on Scooch.

"So when are you going to tell me about this guy?" Betsy prodded, letting one of the curls fall down over Joes shoulder.

Joe glanced over it at her. "Never." She said bluntly. "You know how Leon feels about guys pushing up on me…and you'll just go and give him a picture. Last thing I need is for all of those hormonal men to run in and ruin what isn't really even dating yet."

Betsy laughed. "Okay…well just tell me something about him."

Joe furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know…I guess he's just kind of interesting in a really complicated way. I can't tell what he's thinking….I like that."

Betsey snorted a laugh. "Most women would pay to know what is going on inside of a guys head Joe Joe." She reminded her as she pulled at a curl. "Done."

"Well than it's a good thing it's not a date." She said again, looking in the mirror. She looked like a little Italian fucking doll. She didn't really know what was going on but she had the distinct feeling that Trouble was the kind of guy that would laugh at her if she showed up looking like she had tried. She stood up and grabbed her purse with another glance at the sparkling, pretty girl in the mirror that she was sure looked nothing like her.

Betsy stopped her and took her by the arms, holding her out. "Sure it's not." She told her. "You just be careful out there…with all this stuff going on Leon wouldn't want us to get caught in the crossfire." She told her. "You just have fun being a woman for one night." She finished with a tight smile.

Joe was pretty sure that if Betsy knew she was going to be even in the same presence of a Viper she wouldn't be saying that. At the same time it didn't make sense for Trouble to do anything to her. If he was going to lure her in to get jumped or worse by the rest of his crew he would have done it that first night he took her out for pizza. He wouldn't have shown up on her fire escape after a fight. He wouldn't have come back after the block was trashed. It just didn't make sense. The whole name thing? Well she had heard plenty of girls running their mouths off about their boyfriends and getting them into trouble. He probably just didn't want his crew to know that he was going after one of Leon's girls.

"Betsy. I'll be fine." She told her as she walked backwards towards the door. "It's just dinner."

Betsy smiled and shook her head. "Put on a dress!" She yelled after her as Joe turned around. "At least a skirt!" Joe laughed and gave her a thumbs up over her shoulder. She had no intention of wearing a dress.


	7. Chapter 7

**Guest: Hi there. I'm sorry but I didn't approve your remark. I don't think you saw the movie…I could never make Marco too evil or mean. He was a RAPIST in the film. If anything I'm making him too nice. He was clearly a sociopath in the movie. Before you comment on a fan fiction please watch the original work. That or you expected me to write him out of character, which anyone who has read ANY of my fictions will tell you that I never do. Thank you and I highly recommend watching the movie. **

**Melissa: His voice is fucking hypnotizing! **

**Knyte and Gurl: Isn't there always a girl that we have wanted to toss through a window? I know I've had a few where I've imagined it! **

**Coconutcarter: I'm going to be sure to clarify that in this chapter cause I think its an important part of why she isn't really scared.**

**Chapter Seven:**

Marco leaned against the wall to the florist shop waiting. She wasn't late but it was getting close. Looking at the street over his smoke he exhaled. He was still amused by the entire encounter this morning and he had to admit that the little smart mouthed girl turned him on…not even in a purely sexual way. She was funny and didn't seem scared. He tapped the ash off his cigarette. Then again what could he do to her that hadn't been done before? He could think of a few things but none of them were things that she wouldn't enjoy.

Glancing up he caught her moving down the street towards him and give him a little smile. She looked…good. Real good. Her hair was done and pinned back half way on the side, just like the first time he had watched her through the window of Willies. She was wearing a pair of black three quarter pants and heels that weren't too high but that he was still sure would make her legs and ass look great. She had a white button up shirt on that showed just enough cleavage to make him lick his lips with little crescent sleeves.

"Wow…you," He stopped and gave her a little grin as his eyes continued their exploration. "You look good." He muttered.

Joe gave a little half embarrassed smile as she stepped up to him. "Yeah…sorry. Girlfriends metaling and all."

Marco nodded to himself, figuring it had to be Betsy. "You didn't tell them it was me did you?" He muttered.

Joe watched his face as he lifted a hand to run it along her collarbones slowly seemingly admiring the line with his head cocked to the side. "You mean did I tell the leader of the Deuce's girlfriend that I was going out with a Viper whose name I don't know?" He seemed to consider though his eyes were following his fingers. "I think you're safe."

Marco gave a little grin and nodded, finally lowering his hand to take her elbow. "Let's get off this block and keep it that way." He said leading her to Jimmy's car.

* * *

The fair was one that he was sure none of them Deuce's would be at. He saw a few Vipers that he knew but they were being whispered to by Jimmy so he knew that they wouldn't do anything stupid. Well stupider than they already were. The moment that he and Joe climbed out of the car and walked towards the fair grounds he had seen a few sets of eyes following. At first he had thought they were following him. He was after all Marco Vendetti and people fucking knew it.

He tossed an arm over Joes shoulders casually when he saw their eyes travel lower on her, giving Jimmy a commanding nod over to them to make sure they stayed in line. Not that he could trust Jimmy to keep his thoughts to his own damn self.

"How long has it been since you actually took a girl out?" Joe asked innocently as she felt his fingers trail along her shoulder and his thumb press into the back of her neck tantalizingly.

Marco let out a little snorting laugh. He didn't take girls out. She was right about that. Why would he? He could get enough ass just by walking into the club. "Long long time." He muttered. _If ever. _He glanced over as she gave a shake of her head. "What?" Joe smiled down and shook her head negative, unwilling to say any of her thoughts until she felt him tighten his arm and give her a squeeze to force the answer out. "Tell me." He muttered in her ear with a grin. She was wearing that little sly expression that she had on her face when she was sizing Misty up and he liked it.

Joe gave a little shrug and glanced at his face so close to hers. They would have been nose to nose if she was a bit taller. "I'm your first date date aren't I?"

Marco snorted again and reached into his pocket with the hand that wasn't keeping her at his side, grabbing a smoke and his lighter. "Something like that." He mumbled as he lit up, surprised at himself yet again. Why was he so nice to this girl? He knew he was manipulating her but at this point he was being nice off instinct. He didn't even know he could do that. "So what first?"

"Dammit!" Joe hissed as her dart went in between two of the balloons. She scrunched up her nose in irritation as Marco laughed from beside her, leaning with his forearms against the old rotting stall.

She was getting so frustrated and it was adorable. He smiled and shook his head. "Want me to show you what the trick is?" He asked her, giving the vendor another dollar.

Joe looked over at the teasing grin he was giving her. "Why doesn't it surprise me that you're good with sharp pointy objects?" She joked, crossing her arms over her chest with the darts in her hand.

Marco narrowed his eyes at her but knew that it wasn't as dangerous looking as it normally was before snatching the darts away. He turned back and threw one in an arch, puncturing a red balloon and making it pop. He looked over at her with a raised dark eyebrow.

"Do it again." Joe responded with a scowl of her own. "Just to make sure it's not luck."

He grinned and tossed another dart. "Put an arch on it sweetheart." He told her, holding the last dart out to her and leaning forward again.

Joe took a deep breath as she took it, his steal blue eyes on her making her nervous. Focusing her eyes she tried to ignore him watching her with that little cocky grin on his lips. She bit down into her own before tossing it, striking a green balloon and smiling to herself.

Marco frowned down at the counter. For a moment there he had found himself grinning back at her. What the hell was wrong with him? He was telling her real things about himself. He was enjoying that she was having a good time. He really needed to lock it down or fuck her and get it over with. She liked him enough for it to hurt her right? His gut tightened and he scowled at the vague thought that he actually might not want to destroy her.

Joe frowned. "Trouble?" His blue eyes shot up to her. "Everything okay?"

_Fuck no. _"Yeah." He responded nodding into the stall and all the stuffed animals. "Pick one…I'm going to go get us a beer." He reached out with the hand that was holding his smoke and rubbed her lips with his thumb for a second before walking off.

Joe let out a long breath at the way that his fingers had run over her lips and the aching that went through her body at the touch. She liked him. He was funny in that cocky sort of way, dangerously handsome, good to her cousin, nicer to her than she was sure he was to anyone else…what wasn't there to like? It was obvious that he wasn't used to opening up but with the scowl that he wore whenever he let something slip she knew that he was doing it with her. "That one." She told the vendor with a little smile, pointing to a big red stuffed frog.

"Joe Joe. Hey." She turned with a frown to see Jimmy standing behind her just a little bit too close for comfort. "Fancy seeing you here. You with us now?" He asked with a grin. His eyes were red rimmed and he had a thin layer of sweat on him either from the warm night or from his habit.

Joe took a step back, her hand slipping into her pocket to feel the comforting weight of the knife that Leon had given her. She gripped it, ready of she needed it. "You know who I'm here with Jimmy." She murmured as he took a step to follow the one she had taken away. "And it's not you."

Jimmy gave her a goofy smile that looked awkward for his face. "Come on Joey…you're going to be hanging with us and you can't be like that."

Joe pursed her lips together. "It's just Joe Jimmy." She corrected. He frowned and his hand darted out, grabbing her arm and giving it a squeeze. She gritted her teeth and tightened her hold on the weapon in her pocket.

Marco glanced up from where he was grabbing his beer off the counter to see Jimmy's hand gripping onto Joes arm. Her brown eyes were narrowed dangerously and he noticed how hard she was gripping into her pant pocket, the little muscles in her arm and throat working.

He growled and gripped the neck of the two bottles, storming back over. "Jimmy!"

Jimmy's hand immediately dropped from Joes arm and she stepped back and pulled her hand out of her pocket.

Marco handed the two bottles over to her. "Hold onto these for me sweetheart. I gotta talk to my old friend Jimmy here for a second." He gripped the back of Jimmy's neck painfully, making it twist as he dragged him away.

Joe took a long sip from one of the beers. "That should be fun for him." She muttered as she watched Jimmy being dragged behind the stalls.

Marco slammed Jimmy into the hard wooden back of one of the booths. "What the fuck do you think you're doing you piece of shit?!" He snarled at the obviously high and startled excuse for a man in front of him.

"Come on man…" He weezed.

Marco curled his lip and slammed him back again. "I ever catch you messing with her again, getting in the way of my plans, I don't care if you're high or legally fucking retarded, I'll slit you open from ear to ear."

Jimmy shrugged through the pain in his head from hitting the boards. "Isn't like she's your real girl or nothing…"

Marco growled and gripped his neck tight, squeezing his hand around his windpipe mercilessly. "Far as your concerned she's a fucking nun! Understand? No one touches her but me til I'm done with her." Jimmy nodded quickly, trying not to chock.

Marco released him with a frown, knowing that even after he was done with her he didn't want the likes of Jimmy touching her. He watched Jimmy rubbing his neck as he lit up a fresh cigarette before he made sure he watched him walk off in another direction.

"Hey Joanne right?"

Joe turned around to see a woman with black hair and grey blue eyes looking at her. "Yeah." She responded with a quirked eyebrow.

The woman nodded at her. "I'm Annie…Jimmy's sister."

Joe nodded and gave her a quick up and down. "If you're looking for your brother I think he's probably getting the shit beaten out of him." She put in.

Annie smiled at her with a little dry laugh. "Yeah…doesn't surprise me." She said making Joe smile. "Look I um, I saw you on your balcony the other night." She said, watching as Joe stiffened. "I don't want to cause no trouble I promise. I know what its like…wanting someone from the other side."

Joe swallowed down. "Yeah you're dating Bobby right?" _Please please please don't tell that little jack ass I'm seeing one of your brothers boys. _She thought to herself as Annie nodded. "Than what do you want?"

Annie shrugged. "I don't know…I guess just to tell you to be careful. I don't know if you know who…" She stopped, eyes widening as she saw Marco striding towards them.

Joes head turned to look in the direction to see Mr. Tall, Dark and Trouble coming towards them. Her head snapped back to Annie. "Tell me his name Annie." She said in a low voice.

Annie shook her head. "I can't." She muttered moving away. "Just be careful."

Joe watched her practically run away from her with a frown. "Fuck." She muttered to herself.

"Hey, you alright?" Marco said, his eyes trained on the run away Velvet before turning back to Joe.

Joe nodded quickly and slipped a smile on at the feel of him putting his arm back around her shoulder and stroking it. "Yeah I'm good." She muttered holding out the beer he had left her with.

Marco gave a little nod down at her, pushing his nose into the side of her hair for a moment. "What'd Annie the Ice Cube want?" He asked into the soft strands.

Joe felt a little shiver move through her and the murmured question and his hot smoke filled breath teasing her scalp. "Just to know where Jimmy had gotten off to." She lied, satisfied that it came out believable enough.

Marco nodded. "You tell her I sent him limping home with his tail between his legs?" He asked with a satisfied smirk. He was satisfied with the answer, being pretty sure that the little woman with no angel on her shoulder except for him couldn't lie.

Joe looked up at him and smiled. "Something like that."

Marco nodded and pulled his face away to take a chug of his beer. "Lets take a walk." He murmured. "Too many people around here."


	8. Chapter 8

**Kynte: Lol I meant people in the real world that you would throw threw a window :P but that just kind of shows the type of person that I am.**

**Coconutcarter: Its his hands and his lips. Norman says he had "monster hands" but something about them is just so sexy. Maybe it's the way he's always fidgeting and touching his lips…I dunno.**

**Gurl: I think that Leon has kind of made Marco out to be such a demon over the past few years that she can't even think of the man she's seeing like that.**

**Javanut: Thank you!**

**Leyshia Gisel: That would just ruin all of my plans!**

**Marulk: Maybe a little bit of both?**

**Okay So I know that this is kind of hard to wrap your head around for strong women but I am writing this is time period when it comes to Joe's reaction to her abuse. She could do something but it would probably just make it worse. Even with the police you had that 'good old boy' system so if you went to them about a man beating you they would say that its family business and leave it at that; most of all from that neighborhood and culture.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Chapter Eight:**

"Can I ask you a question?" Joe asked as she walked with Trouble through the darkness of the park. She could see a few other people walking around and wasn't worried. The music could be heard from the fair as it echoed down the paths along with the calls of people in glee.

Marco took the last chug of his beer and tossed the bottle to the side. "Only if I can ask you one after." He retorted, glancing to his side at her.

Joe nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know this Marco guy right?" He nodded slowly, looking back down at the ground in front of them and rubbing his lips. "Why does he want to kill Leon?"

Marco took a deep, shuttering, angry breath. "Leon fucking ratted him out. Get him sent to prison. There's nothing worse than a fucking rat Joe." His lip curled at the thought.

Joe frowned to herself. She knew Leon…the Leon she knew wouldn't have ratted or gone to the cops. He would have wanted to deal with the problem himself. It didn't make sense. Didn't fit. "Well he did give his brother a hot shot."

Marco frowned and shook his head, reaching out and grabbing her arm and stopping their steps. "He didn't. _Ali Boy _was a fucking junkie whether they like to admit or not. He ODed all on his own. Its just easier for them idiots to think it was a hot shot."

Joe looked at him closely. "How do you know that?" She asked.

Marco gripped her arm tighter. "People talk." He said in a low voice, letting her know that this conversation was over. "What's in your pocket and what were you going to do with it?" Joe looked away and he gripped her slender arm tighter. "Give it to me." He said in a low growl.

Joe looked around them for a moment before moving her arm. He released it to let her dive into her pocket and pull out the knife. His face darkened immediately, lip curling and eyes narrowing down at the very familiar old blade. He swallowed down his rage as best he could. "Where'd you get that?" He hissed.

Joe frowned as he took the knife out of her hand. She tried to close her fingers around the cold metal but his pried them open. "Leon gave it to me." She said.

Marco's shoulders tensed and he made a sound of distasteful anger. Leon had given her his fucking old knife. HIS! That little arrogant bastard. "You gunna stab Jimmy with this?" He growled out as he flipped the blade open.

Joe felt the urge to step back but she had the feeling that he wouldn't let her. "If he asks for it." She told him.

Marco glanced up at her, anger still clear in his eyes. "It's too short to stab." He muttered.

Joe shrugged and looked away again, taking in how far people were from them. For the first time she really felt an undeniable stab of fear with him. "I could try."

Marco shook his head. "You're better off slashing with how short you and the blade are." He turned it in his hand and held it back out to her, snorting when she held it over hand. "Precious little Leon didn't bother to show you how to use it huh?" Joe quirked an eyebrow. "Underhand. Don't hurt your wrist that way when you carve."

Joe turned it and he nodded. "Will slashing work?" She asked him.

Marco let out a forced chuckle. "Long enough for you to get away." He watched as she seemed to consider before looking up at him with those big dark eyes. They almost looked black this late at night.

She cocked her head to the side slowly, thinking about all of the pain and beatings in her life. Thinking about Scooch laying on the floor with a beer bottle smashed over his head. She thought about how sad it was that the only way she could defend him was to take his place. "What if I want to kill them?"

Marco licked his lips and stepped in a bit closer to her, taking her wrist and making her lower the knife that had once been his to their side. He wanted her to have it if she was thinking those kinds of dark thoughts. Something about them seemed oh so right when she was holding his first knife. "Then slash their mother fucking throats." He murmured low, bringing his hand up to run through her hair.

Joe closed her eyes and nodded, her blood heating as his feet touched hers. It was followed by his breath on her lips, his hand tugging lightly on the hair at the back of her neck to bring her face up to his as he looked at her. She couldn't see him with her eyes shut but she knew what that face looked like by now: Lips pursed, bright blue eyes narrowed, scar over his face working with his jaw…intense.

"Joe!" Joes eyes snapped open and she turned her head towards the voice even though Trouble still had a firm grip on her hair.

Marco growled in frustration at the sound of her cousin's voice and the wheels of a bike spinning. "Not a good time kid!" He nearly yelled, not bothering to step away from the warm little body in front of him. He didn't know why but he wanted this...felt like he needed it.

"Sorry!" Scooch pulled the bike up towards them. "But everyone's looking for you!"

Joe frowned and went to pull away but Troubles hand tightened on her hair. "Don't." He muttered, voice laced with promises if she stayed.

"Leon's Mom fell and hit her head on the sink and its bleeding real bad." Scooch told them.

"Take her to the hospital." Joe muttered, looking back up at the face that was still so close to hers. He gave her a little grin of approval.

"They can't!" Scooch told her. "She's been drinking and they don't want her to get in trouble." She let out an aggravated breath across Marco's lips. "Joe come on!" Scooch demanded, kicking the side walk with his heel.

"Shit." She muttered, looking down at his chest. "I've got to…"

Marco frowned and let go of her. "I'll drop you off down the street." He muttered as she pulled away. "Thanks a lot kid." He said sarcastically. Scooch gave him an apologetic look that didn't help at all with his annoyance.

Marco parked the car a few streets down from Leon's apartment, waiting for Joe to get out. She glanced over at him before sighing. "Sorry." She muttered. He nodded quickly as she leaned in and gave him one of her sweet kisses on the cheek. He was actually glad about it. If she had really kissed him he probably would push her into the back seat.

She pulled away and got out of the car. "Thanks for tonight and the lift. I mean I know its Jimmy's car but you can tell him to fuck himself."

Marco grinned at the statement and shook his head. Damn was he starting to enjoy that mouth. "I'll tell him." He watched as she started to walk away. "Joe!" She turned back to him. "Tomorrow I want a real fucking kiss." He reminded her.

Joe grinned. Oh, she did too. In fact her body was still humming with the idea. "And you're used to getting what you want aren't you?" He pursed his lips in a sly smile and nodded.

* * *

"Where the hell were you!?" Leon hissed at Joe as she sat in front of his mother at the kitchen table.

She was cleaning out a large gash on her forehead now that she had stopped the bleeding, eyes intent on the would instead of the brother hissing at her, the one leaning against the counter looking either bored or irritated…some odd mixture of the two, and Betsy standing on the other side of the room. She had sent Scooch home so that he wouldn't get into trouble for coming in late. "Out." She said simply, taking the cotton away from his mother's head.

"Out where and with who?" Leon asked her, pacing.

Betsy frowned. "Leon, take it easy on her. She can't be there for every problem."

Leon turned to his girlfriend. "It's a fucking war out there and she just keeps wandering out!"

Joe ignored the conversation, putting some of the towels and cotton away. "You need to make sure she doesn't drink for a few days. I don't want the bleeding to start up again or I'm not going to be able to stop it."

Leon sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair. "Go to bed Mom." He told her slowly, watching Joe pack up. "We aren't done." He told her.

Joe closed her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah we are." She muttered.

Bobby snorted. "Bet she's fucking a viper." He spat.

Joe narrowed her eyes at him. "Says the guy who's screw Jimmy Pockets sister!" She hissed.

"That's not a no Joe!" Leon shot at her. "Fuck! Is it fucking Jimmy or something…Marco even!? Is that why you wont tell us!?"

Joe spun around on him. "Its not Marco!" She hissed. "Everything you've said about him doesn't fit anything that he's done around me so it can't be him! So what if I'm seeing a viper? I'm not one of you! I'm not even related to one of you! I'm just your little doctor that you think you can control! Well guess what Leon? You might own you're brother," Bobby tensed as she said it and spat into the sink next to him. "You might own Betsy," The other woman looked away. "You might own this block but you don't own me!"

Leon frowned. "We're just trying to keep you safe Joanne!"

She scoffed. "Safe Leon?! When have I ever been safe here? That's a nice little delusion but we both know it's not true so just mind your own business!"

* * *

Joe let out a long breath as she stood outside of her apartment door, banging her head against it softly.

Trouble couldn't be Marco…he seemed nothing like the hell spawn that Leon made the other man out to be. The Marco that had been in all of their stories would have just lured her into a dark alley with him, not taken her out and tried to kiss her. The Marco that he talked about wouldn't be defending her from Jimmy tonight. It was clear that Annie and some of the others feared Trouble but people feared Leon too.

She shook her head to herself and opened her apartment door as she heard her aunt crying and uncle yelling. There were no white knights in the world anyway. Leon could pretend all he wanted but he couldn't stop what was happening behind this door.

She watched as her uncle Gino gripped onto Scoochs shirt slapping him across the face. "Gino!" She yelled making them turn to her as her young cousin trembled, nearly hanging in the air from the way that his father was holding him. She felt the weight of her knife in her pocket remembering Troubles words: slash their mother fucking throats.

She shook her head. She wasn't stupid though she was probably getting herself into trouble with….well Trouble. The good old boy police force wasn't going to charge a man for beating his son and niece. She'd be the one in trouble and if she slashed at him. Than where would her cousin be?

"Scooch…go to your room hon." She muttered as her uncle stomped towards her.

"He's my fucking son." Gino yelled at her in anger.

"Yeah well he's my fucking cousin." She released the hold on the knife and sighed. If she used it she could go to jail. If she missed it would make it worse. Maybe some night she'd be angry enough to use in…but not tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

**Coconutcarter: I know! His hands and….everything else. That voice… those eyes…. Sorry I just went off on a day dream. Yeah Bobby is a little hypocrite. I personally do think that Leon paid for sex from Annie way back when. Why else would he be so mad at her and no so much about her? **

**Gurl: Don't kill me! **

**Knyte: Yeah I'm sorry Leon was always just a little too self riotous for my taste. **

**JavaNut: I'm glad that you like her! I was worried so was coming off as a bit weak but its really that she just doesn't have that many options.**

**Okay you all wanted some Joe/ Marco action! Dont hate me!**

**Chapter Nine: **

Marco tossed his smoke to the side as he looked around making sure that no deuces were around to see him go into the flower shop. He had to admit that he liked this girl. She was mouthy and funny. The only shit she seemed to take was from him and the man who gave her that bruise he had first seen on her neck. He could push to the back of his mind that he was using her to get to Leon when they were out.

She was a fucking catch to…pretty and petite…great piece of ass. He'd seen his own men checking her out. He couldn't wait to tap that and not just to rub it in Leon's fuck ugly mug. Something about her was pulling at his chest. He didn't know what it was. All he knew was that he needed to get up against that perfect body and push into that soft skin after last night.

"Joe." He called as he came into the shop, glad and smug to see that it was just her again. She was always alone…it was so easy.

Joe frowned and came out of the back. She had been hoping he wouldn't stop by today and see her how she was. She knew he was dangerous and god knows what kind of reaction he would have when he saw her. She wasn't stupid; it radiated off of him. "Hey." She said as he looked at the too big white framed sun glasses covering her eyes.

"Why the hell are you wearing those inside for?" He laughed, making fun of her.

"No reason." She said a little too quickly and sharply, making him frown.

Marco narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Take em off Joe." She shook her head and took a step back as he reached out. "I said take them the fuck off!" He tore the sun glasses off of her face with an animalistic growl when he saw the deep shiner on her left eye. The swelling of it showed that it was already going down, indicating that it had happened last night after he had dropped her off.

He didn't know why he was mad. He really shouldn't be…its not like he was opposed to hitting woman or doing anything else to them. All he knew what that he hated that bruising that was dominating her pretty face and whoever had put it there.

"Who?" He asked. She looked away and he grabbed her chin and yanked it back to him with force. "Who fucking did it Joanne!?"

"My uncle." She muttered, wincing as his strong fingers dug painfully into her chin. "It was either me or my cousin. You know I'd rather have him hit me-"

She was cut off as her trouble makers lips slammed into hers with unrelenting force. He pried open her delicate lips with his tongue, unwilling to take no for an answer and twisted his tongue into her mouth hard, pulling at her own. He pulled away as quickly as he had moved in and threw his hand down before turning his back on her and storming towards the door.

"Don't!" Joe called after him.

Marco snarled and spun back around. "Don't ever tell me what to fucking do! EVER!" He yelled at her before slamming the door open.

Her uncles apartment door was open when he slammed through it, surprising the man inside as Marco pulled the shiv out of his pocket. Her Aunt was huddled up on the floor crying already before Marco even pushed through the door.

Without a word he grabbed the much larger man in a chock hold and yanked him to the ground with more force than he needed. Growling over his shoulder, he stuck the sharp object under his eye and cut along the bone there, taking his time and moving the blade slowly.

The man screamed as blood spilled from his socket.

Marco pursed his lips together hard as he tightened his arm around the man's throat. "Every. Single. Mark on her I see…I am going to come in here and cut into you." He snarled into his ear. The man chocked in response. "No one hurts her except me anymore. We got us an understanding?" The man grunted again and Marco threw him to the ground so hard that his head hit the tile and the blood from his cheek coated the floor.

Marco pushed himself up from the ground and pulled a rag off the side of the old oven to whip the blood from the sharp edge. Looking down at the scrunched and trembling body on the floor, he grabbed a few fingers full of the food on the counter and stuck it into his mouth.

"She's mine now." He told the man again, sucking the chicken juice off his fingers and leaving the apartment with a smirk to himself. Yeah, she was his now. He didn't care what any of them had to say about it.

* * *

Joe looked up as the shop door opened again. She couldn't see anyone coming towards the store with the brown paper over the broken window but she knew who it was. One customer was wandering around the far side of the shop, looking at some of the bulbs on the stands.

Trouble walked in with a distinct angry stride in his steps, glancing around and catching the shoppers eye. He nodded to the door. "Out." He told her in a harsh voice as he looked back at Joe. The customer hurried to the door and he pushed it closed hard, still starring hard at Joe as she straightened and cocked her head at him. Turning he locked the door up, closed the old wooden blinds and flipped over the sign to the 'closed' side. "You're done for the day." He told her as her lips worked against each other.

Joe felt her throat drying up as she looked at him. "What did you do?" She asked quietly. Lord help her if he had done something that didn't completely scare the living day lights out of her uncle. It would just make it worse for them.

Marco frowned. That was it. For all intensive purposes she was his now. He hated that he actually gave a damn about her but seeing her beaten was the last straw. He wanted her and he didn't want anyone else to have her. What was his was HIS, and no one else got it. He pushed himself to her quickly pulling her into him by the shoulders. "He's not going to be touching you ever again." He muttered before pushing his lips to hers.

Joe gave a started sound of surprise as her heart rate picked up, slamming against her ribs while his tongue snaked in between her lips. His other hand slipped across her jaw, angling it up for him as he tangled his tongue around hers. He withdrew it quickly before thrusting it deep back into her soft warm mouth, thrusting his hips up against her with so much force that Joe was pushed back into the counter.

Joe squeezed her eyes shut and made a sound of pleasure as she felt his hardness through his pants and the skirt that she was wearing. He let out a low growl into her mouth at the sound and wedged her up on the counter with his knee in between her legs. His hands pawed mercilessly at her legs, yanking the tight skirt up to get at her thighs. Joe whimpered for a moment into his mouth before pulling away.

Marco took the opportunity to give a swift yank of her soft hair and expose her neck to him. He licked his lips at the pounding vein there before digging his teeth into it. Joe bit her lip as her legs tightened and she panted out at the stab of pleasurable pain. "I have to ask you something." She gasped out as he ran his tongue along the red mark that his teeth had left.

"Not now." He husked out as he thrust his hips forward again to distract her.

Joe forced her eyes open with unbelievable effort. Her entire body was throbbing with everything that she could…and probably should be doing. She pulled his hair lightly, trying to separate him from her neck. It took a few tries to succeed.

Marco looked up at her with lust filled blue eyes. Her cheeks and skin were flushed and it was easy for him to ignore the one discoloration around her eye with the rest of her so obviously in want of him. "Ask. FAST." He muttered.

Joe swallowed down, suddenly afraid of the question and more of his answer. "You're not…you're names not Marco is it?" What if he said yes? What if she had feelings for the man that was meant to be an enemy?

He starred at her for a moment, eyes narrowing. This was not going to end now because of his stupid fucking name. Fuck no. He hadn't wanted someone this badly in…ever. He didn't know if it was because of the violence he had just preformed on her uncle, the way she had gasped and moaned at his bite or just the fact that he might actually give a shit about her. All he knew was that it wasn't going to end this second.

Burying his face back into her throat he pushed the skirt as high up as he could, hearing the fabric almost rip at his rough treatment. "You think that the guy fucking Leon always talks about would lift a hand to help a woman?" He asked as he ran his hands up the inside of her thighs. She squirmed frantically around him, making him grip her tighter and turn him on even more. Joe whimpered out a quite 'no' as he fingers stripped open his jacket, clawing lightly at the black tank top over his s. He grinned against her skin at the desperation of it. He had this one wrapped around his finger…and in a few minutes him. "There's your answer." He growled as he pushed her panties to the side.

Joe's eyes snapped open to the ceiling and she let out an embarrassingly loud moan as his rough fingers circled her, making her jolt around him.

Marco's lips parted and panted at the sound and the way her back arched. He loved it when girls screamed but that…well that was just unbelievable. He watched her chest and lips as he circled around her quickly, watching the expressions on her face and shivers wrenching her little body. He let out a guttural noise of approval as he slipped his ring and middle finger into her, causing her mouth to drop open and her entire body to tense around him. She was tight…tighter than any girl he had ever been with.

Joe clenched at him tighter, shocked at how amazing this felt. The one other guy she had been with was nothing like this. It was fumbling and stupid. Trouble knew what he was doing…knew it well and was making every part of her pool and heat while simultaneously melting. She could barely keep up with all of the sensations.

Withdrawing his fingers from her he grinned at the sound of disappointment she made, her chest heaving under the shirt he had every intention of ripping off.

Joe looked back at him knowing that she was breathing hard by now. His eyes caught hers as he raised his hand to his mouth and sucked her off his ring finger with a sound of consideration from deep in his throat. "You're sweet." He murmured deep.

He grinned as her eyes widened and she shakily reached out and took his hand, pulling it to her lips and slowly sucking on his middle finger. It was a chance to take but he seemed to more than like it. He closed his eyes at the motion and the feel of suction on him. "Jesus fucking Christ." He hissed before pulling his hand back and shoving her down onto her back on the counter.

Shrugging off his jacket hurriedly, he knocked the books and pots off the counter before running his hands all the way down her little body, watching as she squirmed.

Joe let out a long gasp of pleasure as she heard him move to pull open his pants.

"Joe Joe! You in there?"

Marco growled as he heard Betsy's voice from the door and saw the door knob turning over and over to try and open it.

"Shit!" Joe jolted up and looked at the door. "You've got to go."

Marco glared at her as she pulled the skirt back down. He gripped her thigh to keep her there. "I'm not fucking going anywhere!" He told her. Hell no, he could barely walk at this point!

Joe pulled him in for another hard kiss, tongue pushing into his mouth. He could feel her shaking against him with how badly she wanted this. She pulled away. "Please? I don't want them to hurt you."

He furrowed his eyebrows at the words, taking in the fact that she actually cared if something happened to him. "This hurts enough." He growled, yanking her hand down to feel how hard he was. He muffled his groan as best he could as she gave a little squeeze. "I'm coming to get you Joe. No more fucking interruptions." He hissed as he grabbed his coat and moved to go out the ally entrance to the shop.

"Joe! Come on! Open up!"

Fuck Betsy. He really hated that blond bitch…most of all right now.


	10. Chapter 10

**Melissa: Arg that forceful attitude and words are so hot! I could never resist that if he growled at me! **

**Waterwarrior: I'm glad you're back! Just in time for the drama to start too! I wonder why it wasn't opening…hum. Maybe ffn caught on to my perversion. **

**Leyshia: I think we are all a little mad at Betsy right now! **

**Coconutcarter: You know me….can't make it easy for them. **

**KYnte: Leon would never cross that line into a family but Marco? Nahah. You don't mess with what's Marco's **

**Gurl: He already came and got me….left me dying on the floor….of total satisfied exhaustion. **

**Chapter Ten: **

"Hey Betsy." Joe said opening the door and trying to control her breathing after Trouble made his run away. "I was just taking a break."

"Oh my god." Betsy said, eyes glued to her black eye. "Holy shit Joe." She stepped into the shop.

For once Joe was glad that her eye was so messed up and bruised. It drew Betsy's attention away from her chest, still trying to control her breathing and the way that her skin was flushed from arousal and rough facial hair. "I'm alright…really."

Betsy frowned. She hated that the other woman was going through this. She'd asked her to come and live with her a few times but Joe couldn't leave Scooch behind…wouldn't. "Did you ice it?"

Joe nodded quickly and glanced over at the fallen items that had been pushed off the counter. "Yeah…yeah and I was just breaking things to get some of my anger out." She said jokingly as Betsy looked over at the pots.

Betsy nodded. "Look I just wanted to say sorry about last night." She started. "About Leon freaking out on you… He shouldn't have gotten so angry with you. Its just that you're like a baby sister to him and he doesn't want to see anyone using you."

Joe nodded and glanced to the back door. She really didn't care about that right now. She wasn't thinking about any man besides the one that had just left. She wanted him. Physically that much was obvious but in another way too. Leon said that he was the protector of the neighborhood but he had never crossed the line to protect her when she went home. Trouble just had…she was sure of it. A man like that didn't leave loose ends. "It's alright Betsy…really. You're not responsible for him."

Betsy nodded. "He just…he's just worried about you. We all are. We don't know anything about this mystery guy and Annie told Bobby that she saw you at a viper hang out last night…" She stopped and shook her head.

Joe let out a long breath. "All you need to know about him is that I really like him." She told the other woman. "More than I've ever really liked anyone." It was true. Even if she didn't know his name she knew that she liked him…cared about him. She knew that she didn't want him to get into trouble because of her. God knows what the others in his gang would do if they found out that he was going for her.

* * *

"Clean this shit hole up." Marco said as he walked into the front door of his house. He kicked Philly's legs off the coffee table in the living room. Jimmy was sitting, half slumped on the edge of the sofa, a slight layer of drool on his chin. Marco made a disgusted face at him. "And make sure this idiot is out of here."

Philly looked up at him with a wince of pain at his injuries were jolted from the blow. "What we having company?" He asked dumbly.

Marco frowned at him hard. "Not that its any of your business but yeah. _I am._ I'm not letting her slip through my fingers again."

Philly began to gather up some of the beer bottles as best he could with his one good hand. "Never cared about what a bitch thinks about this place before."

Marco pushed through into the kitchen with calm even strides, pulling a beer out of the refrigerator and popping it open. "Just shut up and do what I fucking say." He muttered taking a long chug from the dark bottle.

He didn't know why he gave a damn but he didn't want this place looking like a crack house when he brought Joe over. And that would be soon. More than soon. He wasn't a patient man. He wanted her right now. He felt like he had a constant hard on since this afternoon. Maybe he'd even keep her here over night so that her idiot uncle wouldn't try to beat on her again. He didn't want to have to prove his point twice.

He'd show up tonight, pick her up off the street and take her to one of the drive in's or something, just to keep up the appearance of being a gentlemen. Besides, he kind of thought it might be fun to get her all hot and bothered in the back seat of Jimmy's car. Get her begging for him before he brought her home.

He let out a little smile to himself and tilted the bottle, watching Philly try and get Jimmy up. He actually did enjoy his time with the little thing too.

* * *

Joe walked down the street that evening. It was getting dark by now but walking was something that she had always done to get time to herself. She had gone back to the apartment after Betsy had left, to flustered to keep working. Plus she had needed to change her clothes…one specific item in particular.

She bit her lip as she considered what had happened when she had gotten home. Her aunt was sitting at the old kitchen table, looking numb and worn down like she always did. Scooch was out, just like she had expected him to be.

Her uncle was the real shocker. He had a deep cut on his face and was holding a rag to it. When she came in and shut the door behind her, prepared for him to scream at her that she was a slut like he always did and to exhibit some retaliation for whatever trouble had done, he had practically run out of the room, backing away from her like she had been the one to slash at him.

She couldn't help the smile that she got when he did it or when she thought about it now. She was still smiling when Jimmy's car pulled up next to her with the convertible top up in the night air. A darker figure than Jimmy leaned over the seat to look out the window.

"Hey sweetheart." Marco said with a grin out the window. "Don't you know there's a war going on?"

Joe quirked an eyebrow at him. "So I've heard." She said back as he slowly followed her walking steps with the car. "I just wasn't ready to be at home just yet."

Marco's face darkened. "He didn't try anything again did he? Idiot." He muttered.

Joe shook her head and sighed, looking a head of her to hide her smile. "Nope. You scared the living shit out of him."

Marco let out a sly smirk. That is after all what he did best. "Come on. Get in." He told her, patting the door and stopping the car as she stopped walking.

Joe pushed her hair out of her face and stepped over to the car, putting both of her hands on the open window frame. "I dunno. You just said there was a war going on." She said with a little joking smile on those pretty pink lips.

Marco bit the inside of his cheek in amusement. "And you totally want to sleep with the enemy…or at least see a movie with one." He leaned farther over and pushed the door open under her hands. "Come on…I told you I was coming for you."

Joe bit down on her lip before pulling the car door open and climbing in beside him. Marco grinned and took the smoke out of his mouth, reaching over and pulling her to him by the cheek for a long kiss. There was the sweetness he'd been missing his whole life.

* * *

Annie watched as her brother stumbled around the kitchen with his beer, high, drunk and rambling. Jimmy always ran his mouth when he was drunk and right now he was really going for it. Half of it was intelligible. The other half was…interesting.

Apparently he was mad because Marco was planning on bringing Joe home tonight to tear her up. "Thing is he knows I've been wanting that girl!" Jimmy ranted.

"Oh, yeah?" Annie said, bored. Jimmy wanted every girl and couldn't get any of them.

"Funny part it," Jimmy continued in a bantering conversation with himself. "He's just gunna screw her to piss with Leon. Get him all rattled up for a fight about her lost innocence or broken heart!"

Annie rolled her eyes. "Why would he do that? Go threw all that trouble?"

Jimmy leaned back in the chair, laughing at their mother as she danced to Frosty the Snow Man. "Cause she's like his baby sister. His really fine baby sister. Breaking her to pieces 'll piss Leon off and he can get into a fight and kill him for ratting him out. Funny thing is, come here ma! You're gunna love this!" He grabbed his mother and pulled her over, rubbing her head hard. "Wasn't Leon who ratted him out! Not one fucking bit."

Annie frowned. "Who did? Rat him out I mean?" She watched as her brothers face darkened and he seemed to start sweating harder at the question.

* * *

Joe whimpered into Marco's mouth as he gripped her hips tightly and greedily, grinding them down against his in the car. He bit into her lip and pulled at it with his teeth as her nails scrapped down the black tank top over his chest. He jerked under his cloths and against her at the feeling. Most women just lay there or leaned back and let him do whatever he wanted…not that that was a bad thing but he liked how she clawed at him and touched him back without any fear.

He'd parked them in the back of the lot, smirking to himself at the privacy of it. Not that he was going to take any chances. He wanted all the time that he could have to make her unravel. The next person who interrupted them was dead. Really fucking dead.

He'd leaned the seat back and stared straight ahead, trailing his fingers across the base of her neck and watching her shiver out of the corner of his eye, teasing her slowly and enjoying the reaction more than he ever had before.

Joe finally had enough and looked over at him before taking his cigerette out of his mouth and tossing it out the window. Marco turned to glare at her just as she climbed over the seat and straddled his waist, latching her lips right onto the salty skin just over the tattoo on his neck.

Marco closed his eyes and bit into his cheek to hold back the growl of lust that threatened to escape him. That was the problem with people being afraid of you…they didn't do shit like that. He gripped into her hair and pulled her away from his neck. "You should really be more scared." He murmured before kissing her hard, dominating her with his tongue until she was panting and moving against him.

Joe broke away from him to breath, her nose pushed against his. He starred back at her, slightly confused at the fact that he liked kissing her this much. Joe bit her swollen bottom lip and ran her hands down his solid chest and stomach. "Would it be telling you what to do if I said you should really take me back to your place?"

Marco let out a cocky grin as his dick jerked under her, narrowing his eyes. He glanced at the back seat and then back at her. "That's the plan." He tightened his grips on her hips and tried not to toss his head back, pretty sure that if she was given half a chance she'd turn out to be a biter…not that he minded but he needed to be able to drive. "But you know what's going to happen if I do…" He didn't know why he was warning her. It's not like he was going to let her back out.

Joe nodded as he dug one of his hands into her hair and moved her against him. She knew what was going to happen…wanted it. How could she not after everything today? "Take me with you." She whispered against his lips right before she kissed him again.

Marco groaned against the kiss and pulled her regretfully off his lap. He gunned the car as cast as he could before glancing over to see her trying to push her hair back down. "Leave it." He muttered as he grabbed her hand and put it on the inside of his thigh with a little smirk. "No point. I'm just going to fuck it up again."


	11. Chapter 11

**Normanreedus: Hope this didn't take too long! **

**WaterWarrior: Oh yes…here comes the drama!**

**Leyshia: Lol Marco's not going to let anything stop them now!**

**Knyte: Marco is currently exhausted and coamatous. You'll have to call back later!**

**GypsyWitchbaby: Hey doll! Glad you found this story! Ohhhhh….its going to be pretty bad.**

**Gurl: Love you! **

**Okay so I know that this is what we have all been waiting for but I want to remind you all that I'm writing Marco in character. Don't expect any flowers or candy coated sex in this one. It's **_**Marco.**_

**Chapter Eleven: **

Joe made a little whimpering noise of pleasure against Marco's lips as he pushed her into the worn down house. His tongue was assaulting her mouth and had been since he had pulled her from the car…and she did mean assaulting. Everything about it was aggressive and demanding…and extremely arousing.

He pulled away from her with a growl at his cousin. "Get out." He ordered gruffly. Philly jumped up from the table, not caring if his neck and casted arm got in his way. Marco slammed her against the table that the large man was trying to get away from.

Joe was breathing hard against his lips, even as he growled the command at the other man. "Shouldn't we just wait until he…"

Marco gripped the back of her neck so hard it was almost painful and pulled her back to him hard. "Shut up Joe." He meant it to come out as aggressive as he had told his cousin but it ended up being different than he intended, still firm but quieter. The moment he heard Philly stumble into the living room he yanked at her shirt, ripping it open as Joe pushed his jacket off and to the ground with equal demanding.

Joe bit into her lip as he pushed the bra out of the way to look at her. His fingers ran over the perfect rounds before looking up at her as he teased his fingers roughly over the hard pink rubs. She arched back and hips squirmed in reaction, making him grin to himself with male pride.

_Mine,_ his mind demanded before grabbing her hips and pressing them into his. He pulled her to the bed room, his tongue plunging in and out of her mouth as they bumped into corners and walls along the way, their bodies colliding.

Joe gave a sound of surprise as he pushed her hard against the door and used one hand to pin both of her wrists above her head. His other hand ran down the nearly naked expanse of her thin side, large digits taking up all of her ribs in the side. Joe shuddered in his hands, body begging for something. He lingered on a bruise on her stomach and growled.

Joe frowned and looked away, making his eyes snap up to her and his grip on her wrists tighten. "No." He muttered, taking his hand away to yank open the door knob. Pushing her in, he grabbed at her pants, breathing hard as she pulled at the hem of his shirt frantically.

Joe bit her lip at the urgency she was using, surprised at the need that was flooding through her veins and the heat that she was sure was radiating off of her. His strong arm wrapped around her waist as the other yanked the pants from her hips. He lifted her off the ground with a grunt as she kicked them off her ankles, pressing her lips back to his as he bit into her bottom one.

Lowering her back to the ground he tugged the shirt off his head as she pulled hers off her slender little shoulders. Normally he didn't bother getting undressed for sex but he felt the overwhelming urge to know what her nails would feel like scraping down his bare chest.

"Get on the bed." He ordered as he pushed her to it firmly.

Joe tried to calm her raging heart beat and the shallow breaths she was taking as she pulled herself in a crawl back on the bed, suddenly aware again of a few bruises that littered her body and the fact that he was watching her while yanking on his belt. There was no way he couldn't see the marks on her in just a pair of black panties and a bra that he had already pulled halfway down.

Marco didn't notice them…didn't care. All he saw was a tiny, little body that looked unbelievably sexy on his bed. He licked his lips quickly as he tossed the belt away. Yeah, he was really glad that he had gotten her undressed…most of the way. "Bra." He muttered as he reached out and grabbed her ankles, pulling her back to him so he could strip off the panties.

He was hot and hard, pressing against his jeans but he wanted to see her totally naked before he plunged into her.

Joe reached behind her with shaky hands, arching her back to unclasp the bra and making him groan at the sight of her breasts moving when she did. He yanked the underwear off just as she got the bra undone and threw it to the side.

"Fuck Joe…" He muttered as he undid his pants and kicked them to the side. He was shocked he hadn't cut himself on the zipper with how fast he moved and how hard he was. He'd never wanted inside a woman this bad…ever.

Joe let out a long breath at the sight of him as he crawled onto the bed with her, firm and huge, intense blue eyes running over her like he wanted to eat her alive. Another almost painful tingle of pleasure rocketed through her body. She licked her now dry lips as he crawled over her. "I should really know your-"

Her words were cut off as his mouth dove down and snatched her nipple in between his teeth, scrapping against it lightly as he sucked and circled it with his tongue. She squeezed her eyes shut as her back arched and hit his solid body. A low groan from him vibrated across her over sensitized skin as her nails scratched across his back and broad shoulders.

* * *

"Where the fuck is Joe!?" Leon said looked around the Friday night group in the Candy Store. He looked over at her cousin. "Scooch where is she?"

Scooch shrugged. "I think she had a date with that guy tonight." He told the older man while Tino and Jack showed him pictures from a dirty magazine.

"The one who gave you that bike?" He asked, grabbing the magazine away and tossing it away from the boy. "Don't show him that shit."

Scooch made a disappointed face. "Yeah I guess."

Leon looked over at Betsy who shrugged. "I thought you talked to her about this!"

"Leon she's a grown woman." Betsy protested. "Besides she said today that he helped her out with her uncle."

"He did." Scooch put in as he shoved a piece of pretzel in his mouth. "Dad won't even look at her now he's so scared."

Leon frowned hard. He didn't like this mystery Viper in with the kid and his family. He didn't like that someone out there was probably taking advantage of someone who he still considered a kid. Marco had already torn up the block. He didn't need him finding one of their girls on the street at midnight. "Someone find her please!? It's not safe for her to be out at night like this."

* * *

Joe gave a start of surprise when Marco's hand drifted down and felt in between them, trying to hold back a noise of intense pleasure at the rough touch while his fingers felt out how wet and tight she was for him. All of her skin was soft and warm against his hard body. Her hips moved with the touch sending another jolting wave of pleasure through him.

Lifting his face up to hers he kissed her hard again, grinding his mouth to hers and flicking his tongue over her teeth. Joe kissed his back with equal harshness, craning her neck to get closer. He flipped her over under him suddenly, pushing her onto her stomach and holding her there with a firm hand in the center small of her back as he ran his eyes over her body and ass again.

All of his guys wanted this. He knew that. He sure as fuck knew that stupid Jimmy dreamed about this all the time. Again his mind called out. _Mine._

Joe cringed and tried not to scream at the shot of pain that rocked her as he grabbed her hips and trust into her with one hard, fast stroke. Her muscles and body protested and felt like they were ripping at the pain that should have been easier to take. Her small fingers gripped at the sheets hard as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Marco growled and thrust into her amazing tightness hard again. She was warm and smooth, almost painfully tight around his cock. No one he had ever been with had been that tight. He panted for a moment, opening his eyes as he moved in again. Her hands scrunched up his blanket as her shoulders tensed with the rest of her body. He breathed hard through the pleasure and leaned down, bracing his hand beside her and pushing her dark hair to the side with the other so he could see her pretty, sweet face.

Joe bit into her lip and squeezed her eyes closed tighter at the touch, obviously expecting more pain. Her dark eyebrows were drawn together, knuckles almost white with the death hold that she gripped the bed with.

Marco closed his eyes for a moment as the unfamiliar stab of unease moved through his gut. He rested his forehead in between her shoulder blades for a moment, trying to push it away before kissing her skin lightly. "Shit." He almost hissed at himself, pulling out of her and guiding her to roll her tiny body onto her back again.

Joe let out a shaky breath as she followed his motion and rolled so that she was under his body, her eyes still squeezed shut so hard that she was seeing bright dots appear.

"Hey." His voice murmured as softly as he could manage. His hand slipped under her neck as her eyes opened to meet his. "Come 'ere." He pulled her neck softly up to kiss her deeply and slowly, cradling the back of her head. Her fists opened and came to his sides as he tangled his tongue slowly around hers. Pulling his lips away, he ran his hand down her body and thigh, lifting it around his waist as he battled down the surprising need for her to actually enjoy this. That said nothing about his desire to kiss her. He'd never wanted to do that so much during fucking before…

Joe let out a soft whimper as he moved into her again, preparing for pain but not feeling it as much when he moved into her. It was still rough but slower this time, letting her get used to the feeling of his hardness filling her so drastically.

Marco let out a breath as he moved again, this time watching her head go back as he moved and her legs tighten around him. Ducking his head down he nipped at her neck lightly as he picked up his pace a little more.

Joe whimpered, this time in pleasure, at the feeling as she ran her fingers along his sides and scrapped at his leanly muscled arms. It didn't take long until she was gasping out in pleasure while he moved into her faster, her hips rising to meet his. He panted into her neck and shoulder and his fingers clawed at her thighs, bringing them higher on his waist.

"Fuck." He growled as every smooth inch of her tightened and released around him pleasurably. She ran her nails down his chest making him tremor on top of her as she scrapped past his nipples. Grabbing her wrists he pinned them above her head again, arching his back to watch her breasts and body move with his. If she kept doing that it would be over the twitching in his balls reminded him.

Joe parted her lips as her breath left her, casting her head to the side to try and muffle her embarrassingly loud whimpers at the feeling of his skin and the light trail of hair on his lower navel teasing every sensitive inch of her. She had never known that it could feel this amazing, that the unrelenting, powerful thrusts could feel this good.

Marco gritted his teeth and released her wrists to grab her chin to turn it back to him. She was getting dangerously close. Her body contracted around him harder…faster and when her little fingers came back to his hips they dug in with renewed strength. Her teeth scrapped across her lower lip as she tried to quiet herself.

"Scream for me." He muttered against her lips. She whimpered and he struck harder, making her scream out in pleasure. He grinned evilly and pounded into her again as she arched to meet him. There was no pain in there…none at all. Joe felt herself starting to tremble around him, heat building into a throbbing vortex through her body.

He clenched onto her tighter as she breathed into his neck unevenly. "Come on…" He growled into her ear as he pulled her lower back up to hit the spot in her that he knew would make her weak.

Joe closed her eyes again and dug her nails into his ass as she felt every inch of herself tighten and explode around him. She wanted to scream his name…wanted on her lips in that moment of intense pleasure. Her teeth dug into the tattoo on his neck as she came apart under him.

Marco slammed his hand into the mattress as the pain of her bite and the contraction of her muscles sent him over his edge and pouring into her as he shook from the intensity. His entire body fractured and spazumed like he had never known before.

* * *

"I want to know your name so I can scream it the next time."

Marco looked over at Joe, laying naked on her stomach beside him. Now was the time he told a woman to get the hell out. He'd gotten off; that's what mattered…hell he'd done more than gotten off. Hearing and feeling her cum was the greatest thing he had seen in his life. Hearing her scream made him want to stay in between her legs forever. And her biting him….well he didn't think that any woman had ever dared or would ever dare to do that to him. He loved it.

Maybe he'd just keep her here so in an hour he could get inside of that tight little body again. He looked over her back and shoulder blades, slightly shinning from the hot day and what he had just done to her. Her eyes were fading in and out, the intensity of her orgasm weighing on ability to stay awake. He didn't want her to go back to that apartment. Didn't want her uncle to fuck up that perfect little body that was all his to claw at and demolish.

Joe gave a little smile as her eyes finally couldn't stay open anymore. She leaned totally down as she felt his rough fingers trail down her spine. He was rough but holy hell did it feel amazing after he had let her get used to it! Amazing. Now she knew why people bothered with sex. She let out a little sigh and shivered as the pads of his finger ran over the top of her ass.

Marco closed his eyes and leaned over her half asleep form so that his lips brushed across her ear as he spoke. "You were right." He murmured low, pulling away as her eyes snapped open. He'd thought that his sadistic side would enjoy the look of shocked horror on her face and the widening of her eyes…he didn't. She jolted up, pulling the sheet up with her. "Joe-"

"What did you say?" She asked him in a quiet but cold voice as he sat back against the wall.

He tilted his head back, stretching his neck as he watched her flushed skin pale. This had always been the plan. "You were right…it's Marco." He told her again, watching as she instantly pulled away and grabbed for her cloths, starting to pull them on quickly. He grabbed his pack of smokes from the night stand and put a cigarette in between his lips, watching as the warm little body that had felt so amazing disappeared under the pants and top. "You knew I was a Viper." He muttered as he lit up.

"Yeah _A_ viper." She said, knowing that her voice held an edge of panic. Oh god. What was Leon going to say? What was she going to say? Despite the name and the stories she actually liked this man…that made it 20 times worse. "Not _THE_ viper….I need to think."

Marco raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't leave." He commanded as she pulled her heels on, jumping from one leg to the other to do it without sitting back on the bed. "I said don't leave." He repeated, louder this time as she headed for the door.

He should just let her go. She needed to run to Leon right? So why was he pushing himself up and getting pissed? Because he wanted her to stay in that bed with him?

"Joe! Get back here!" He yelled as she left the bed room and he heard the sound of the front door opening and closing.

A low growl of frustration emerged from his throat and he took the smoke from his lips, resting his forehead against his palm as he tried to forget that he meant it. He really didn't want her to leave. "Philly!" He bellowed. The other man hobbled into the door fearfully.

"Yeah Marco."

Marco pulled his palm away from his face and took a lung numbing drag from his cigarette. "Make sure Joanne gets home alright." He muttered dejectedly, glancing at the spot where she had just been laying.

Philly frowned and glanced at the way the girl had run. "Yeah, yeah sure boss."


	12. Chapter 12

**Leyshla Gisel: Lol it was always the plan to seduce her and then hurt her. He just didn't expect to actually like her!**

**Melissaax3: I loved that sadistic side line. So him.**

**JavaNut: I know! Its not even pain…its these conflicting emotions and perceptions.**

**coconutcarter: I feel bad for both of them!**

**marulk : Lol after this she might not have a good side for a while. More of a want to kick his ass side.**

**knyte: I will hog Marco all I want! You know where his new home is!**

**gurl3677: You know me twinny. Things always get a lot worse before they get better!**

**VeritasKym: You know me Kym, anything for my Norman Reedus bad boys! You're coming in just in time for the drama too! Please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think!**

**Chapter Twelve:**

Joe practically ran out of the house and didn't stop until she got out of its sight. She slumped against one of the buildings, leaning against the cool brick wall, breathing hard as she tried to contemplate what had just happened. She had just fucked Marco Vendetti. What the hell!? She knew she should have known better but was she to assume that every handsome stranger was her enemy?

Then there was the fact that none of the stories fit. The Marco Vendetti that everyone talked about was like hell spawn. He did horrid things. He hurt people. The man that was up there…yeah he had his flashes of anger just like any other man but he had never hurt her, never tried to sell her junk, never tried to do anything to her…

"Fuck…" She whispered. Why had he done it? He was Leon's enemy and he knew who she was; who she went to and where she hung out. She had told him that she had taken care of Leon's mother. "That's why." She whispered to herself as she felt tears of sadness and anger prickled her eyes. He expected her to run to Leon, get him riled up so that he went out there and got himself hurt. She shook her head to herself. She was not going to say a fucking word.

She liked that man back there and tonight…well it had been mind blowing but she was not going to let it tear the boys apart.

"Joanne!" She looked up to see the big man that was in the cast and neck brace sitting in the car in front of her, arm ridged and out to the side, neck turned awkwardly in the neck brace to look at her.

"What?!" She snapped, for the first time wishing that she was a smoker to calm her anger.

"Come on…get in the car." He told her in a calm voice, tilting his head in something that should have been a nod.

Joe pursed her lips and shook her head. "Sorry. I'm not doing the riding with people I don't know thing anymore." She told him as she started to walk.

She could hear the mans exasperated moan before he turned the car and began to follow her slowly down the street. "I'm Philly." He told her in an almost begging voice.

Joe looked to her side as she tried to walk faster than slowly down, hopefully getting him frustrated enough to leave her alone. "So you're what? One of his bitches?" She shot at him.

Philly glanced forward before looking back at her. "I'm his cousin." He told her, watching as she continued to look forward. "It's late. Let me give you a ride home."

"I'll walk." She told him, regretting the words as she said them. She was sore, her legs were still shaking and right now even staying in that bed seemed like it might have been a good idea.

Philly frowned. "Joe…come on. Marco wants to make sure you get home alright."

Joe rolled her eyes even as she felt a stab of regret. He didn't want her hurt…not physically anyway. Maybe there was some of the man she had thought he was in there, buried deep. She shook it off. Too depressing. "As foreign as it probably seems to you, I don't give a shit what Marco wants." She frowned as he slammed the car to a stop and tried to get out jerkily, the weight of his casts making him limp towards her at an awkward angle. "What are you doing?" She asked, walking backwards and gripping the old knife in her pocket.

Philly advanced on her as non threateningly as he could, his injured state making him look more like a swaying jack in the box than an enforcer. "Missy, Marco wants me to get you home safe and I'm going to have to snail follow you all the way back there if you don't get in the damned car! So you're getting in there if I have to put you in the trunk!"

He reached out for her with his good arm quickly and Joe jumped back, pulling the old knife from her pocket and instinctively slashing as it flicked open. Philly jumped back in surprise, narrowly avoiding the razor edge and almost falling onto the pavement.

Joe glared at him. "Don't you even think about grabbing me right now." She hissed out as she pointed the knife at him. "I'm not kidding. I've had just about my share of surprises tonight and I will send you back to the hospital!"

Philly starred at her in surprise for a moment, wondering just how his cousin had gotten the little well known spit fire to fall for him or how he had apparently developed…something (Philly really didn't feel comfortable even thinking the word 'feelings' when it came to Marco) for a girl that was going to pull a knife on a man or get equally as angry as his angry cousin.

Joe watched him, defensively, silently challenging any move he would make.

Philly licked his lips slowly as he starred at the blade. "You know that was Marco's first knife right?"

Joe felt her stomach and heart jolt as she glanced down at the cool protective metal in her hands. She remembered the look in his eyes when she had first pulled it from her pocket a few days ago. Every part of her felt conflicted between the man that she knew and the demon everyone said she should fear. "God Dammit!" She half yelled, half hissed and she threw it to the ground.

Every part of her life was becoming haunted by Marco Fucking Vendetti.

* * *

Marco leaned over the kitchen table as he twisted his beer around in one hand, waiting until Philly got back. He had tried to sleep after she had left; to just lay back, remember that he had just gotten laid and fulfilled all of his plans.

She was probably crying into Leon's shoulder right now. Just that thought alone kept him up. He had wanted her to run to Leon. It had been the finale of his plan. It was the whole fucking point! So why was his chest clenching at the thought of her going to that stupid rat for comfort and protection?

Taking a long breath he lifted his beer to his lips as he heard the front door open and close quietly. In the back of his mind something pinged that maybe it was her coming back. Maybe she'd just run in and jump right into his lap right there at the kitchen table, whispering against his skin that she wanted the 'bad guy'.

He looked at Philly from under his eyebrows as he rubbed his fingers across his lips. His cousin hobbled over to him with swaying steps, looking slightly fearful. "Well?" He asked bluntly.

"You're little girlfriend pulled a fucking knife on me!" Philly spat out, tossing the knife he'd picked up from the ground onto the table as Marco starred at him with hard blue eyes. "If I hadn't jumped back bitch would've slashed me across the chest!" Marco's eyes narrowed harder at him. "S-s-sorry Marco. I mean Joe. Threw that down when I told her it was yours."

Marco bit into his cheek and picked up the knife. It looked amazingly small compared to the way It looked in the little girls hand. He couldn't deny that he was a bit proud of the balls on his girl. His mind was still screaming 'Mine' over and over again at him. He rubbed the spot of his neck where she had bitten, sure that it was inflamed. "She run her broken heart to Leon?" He tried to ask coolly as he tossed the knife back across the table and leaned back in the chair, bracing an arm behind him.

Philly shifted on his feet, large frame moving nervously. "She's….she didn't seem heartbroken Marco." He watched his cousin raise an eyebrow. "She's fucking pissed off."

Marco frowned to himself, running a hand through his hair. He was pretty sure she was heartbroken after that. He knew that she liked him. Not even just the him that he'd given her. She liked the him that he let slip through the cracks. In fact, now that he thought about it those were probably more influential than the bike or beating her uncle. "Whatever. Did she go to Leons?"

Philly took a little step back and looked down. "Don't know man. After she threw that down she took off down an ally. Couldn't catch up or find her in the car fast enough."

Marco gritted his teeth and glared and Philly hard. "Let me get this straight: I tell you to make sure she gets home alright so she can go and rile Leon up and you let a five foot, hundred pound woman run into an ally at three o'clock in the morning?...after throwing down her weapon?"

"Tried to get her into the car Marco." Philly mumbled.

Marco curled his lip and grabbed his jacket and the knife off the table. "Shut up." He snapped. "God damn. I gotta do everything my fucking self. Give me your keys."

* * *

Marco drove Philly's newly repaired car around Brooklyn, chewing his thumbnail and looking out the windows. Everyone was indoors after dark these day's, too afraid of the gang wars and big bad Marco to come out. Everyone except the one woman who really should be scared of him right now. She was his and she had left…he had let her leave yeah but he had commanded her to stay. She could cry to Leon in the morning and lay beside him tonight.

Parking the car across the street he glanced into the windows of Leon and Bobby's apartment, seeing that all the lights were off and everything seemed shut down for the night. He frowned and waited a few moments, wondering if he'd see Joe come down the street.

When he didn't he pushed the car back into gear and drove to Betsy's. That's what girls would do right? Run to each other in these kinds of situations? Hell of he knew. He'd never paid attention before. Frowning he saw that the blond was wandering around her apartment, a male figure that he was willing to bet was Leon moved with her, jolting in the lights stark contrast to the shadow outside.

Leaning his seat back, Marco cupped his hands around his lighter and held it to the tip of a fresh cigarette, waiting and watching for the probably crying and distraught woman to come stumbling out of the alley. Flicking his lighter back closed he closed his eyes for a brief moment.

He wondered what she was saying to them…that he had tricked her? Manipulated her? Stolen her heart and innocence? Whatever that might have been true. He'd definitely rocked her harder than that one lucky bastard back in Queens had. He frowned to himself as he remembered the pained look on her face before he realized what he had been doing to her tiny warm body. Was she telling them that he raped her?  
Now, that was a weird thought and should not have made his stomach turn with something that oddly felt like hurt. She'd wanted it. Hell, after he had turned her under him she had fucking loved it! He reached up and touched his neck as he thought about it. He actually didn't want people to think that he had hurt her….

Marco jolted the seat up hard to ride himself of the thought and pulled the car away. He didn't think she would go home; back to her drunk uncle at three in the morning smelling like sex, cigarettes and him but it was the only place he could think of left.

Pulling up to the apartment building he leaned his head out the window and looked up the fire escape. Every light in her apartment was turned bright on, illuminating a small hunched figure on the fire escape. The same fire escape that she had cleaned him up on, taking care of a stranger better than anyone had ever bother to take care of him before.

He frowned to himself and climbed out of the car, only shutting the door half way so that she wouldn't hear it, see him and run again. He climbed up the cold metal rungs onto the platform where the tiny form was nestled before creeping over closer to her, watching closely. She was passed out…exhausted and he couldn't help the puffing of masculine pride in him despite the situation.

"What are you doing out here Joe?" He whispered, trying to see if she was faking. Slowly he moved his hand in front of her eyes to see if she would wake up. He bit into his thumb as he crouched down. As if answering his question, a loud crashing followed by drunken bellows came from the apartment, making his head swerve around.

Joe shifted in her sleep and he frowned and turned back to her as she nuzzled her head against the hard stone wall and bars behind her, her brown hair tangling around the bars and her shoulders. Marco frowned before reaching out and running the back of his fingers along her bruised cheek. He had been right earlier. He definitely did not want her to stay here.

"Fuck." He muttered to himself, giving her face one last appraising look. Taking the knife that she had abandon out of his pocket he put it on the ground in front of her. "Fuuuuuck." He repeated in a longer hiss as he pulled himself up and slowly walked away, trying not to look back at her and failing.


	13. Chapter 13

**WaterWarrior: Yeah I kind of wanted him to but like you said that's not really Marco. Giving the knife back at least he knows she has some sort of protection. He's still wrestling with emotions he's not used to dealing with. **

**VeritasKym: I am glad you are enjoying it. There just aren't enough Marco Fics out there and he's such a good character. Plus this movie was completely littered with misunderstandings and people not communicating well. It's the perfect fodder for a fic!**

**Marulk: Lol and we all know that Marco isn't going to pussy foot back to her and beg so I'm sure he'll mess up a lot more before he makes it right. **

**Melissa: Lol! Yes he is having some 'major feels' and I don't think he even knows how to deal with minor feels so that's not fun for him. **

**Gurl: **** yes he did. **

**Knyte: What is it about Norman characters that just make me feel like they would follow you around through a dark alley, smoking a cigarette and watching? **

**Leyshia gisel: I'm hoping that no words just means a tidal wave of emotion because that's how I felt writing it. **

**Javanut: I know! I hope you liked it!**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

Joe winced as Leon probed at the bruise on her face mercilessly. "Come on Leon," She half hissed. "You're just hurting it more."

"I can't believe this shit," Leon muttered as Bobby popped a bubble from his ultra chew gum behind them. "Did whoever you were with last night do this to you?" He asked her.

Joe shook her head. She'd pulled a scarf around her neck to cover the little bite mark that Marco had left on her collarbones and tucked the red fabric into her shirt. Betsy had made a comment about how stylish she was becoming skeptically but other than that there was no sign of foul play using her. "You know who did it Leon…who always does it. I had it yesterday. Betsy will tell you. She saw me at the shop with it."

Betsy nodded her consent slowly to her boyfriend as he glanced at her. "I'm going to kill that ass hole." Leon muttered. She knew that he wouldn't. This was family business. Gino couldn't push them around when he was here but he was the king of his own little kingdom at home.

Joe bit her lips to keep from saying that his enemy had already ended that problem…started and new one and then she had put a damper on that one too. Not that seemed to stop the infamous Marco. When she woke up in the chilly morning air, the knife sitting in front of her feet was more than enough evidence to let her know that she hadn't been alone all night.

She closed her eyes as Leon continued to turn her face this way and that while the other boys watched from the various tables around Willies. She had hoped that this morning when she woke up it would make more sense; that she would be able to put the evil name onto the face of the man that she really had started to care about. It didn't. She couldn't reconcile the stories with the man that adored having her kiss his cheek or had tried to be as gentle as he could with her last night. Him being on the fire escape to give her back the only defense she had or sending Philly out to make sure she didn't get jumped on the way home made it worse.

If he was so evil why would he do that? Why would he care? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was in emotional turmoil and she couldn't even tell Betsy for fear she would run to Leon. Well, that wasn't true. Part of her wanted to see him again. See if she could still look at him the same way she had been doing for the past few week. It was the larger part of her. But then again why would he want to bother with her if he had gotten what he wanted?

She just had to bare through it, just like the physical abuse. Somehow this seemed…harder.

* * *

Marco paced through his house, running his hands through his hand hair as he gripped the shiv in his hand. What had he been doing going over there last night? Why did he care? He wasn't used to caring about anyone…at times not even himself. His strides were calm and easy, tricking Philly on the sofa until his hand would randomly jet out and slash something in anger.

This time it happened to be a lamp. Marco looked down at the now broken object with his arms crossed, picking at his lip with his index finger for a moment. He just needed to refocus. It wasn't like him to get distracted over a piece of ass. But then again Joanne wasn't just a piece of ass. She was a great ass, beautiful body, big eyes and perfect smart lips. And he was letting all of those things fuck with his head and get in the way of his revenge.

He drummed the shiv on the scar over his cheek as he looked up at Philly's worried and frightened face. "Call Fritzy." He finally muttered. "Tell him if he wants to triple his money I'm going to need it in 2 days to get the samples. Call Jimmy and tell him to arrange a sit down with that guy he was talking about."

"Sure thing boss." Philly said quickly. "What are we gunna do about them Deuces? You know Leon ain't gunna let us sell in Sunset Park without a fight."

Marco shook his head. "She'll tell…she has to tell someone that she fell in love with the enemy." He brought the shiv down hard into the table as he said it, unwilling to show that he knew because he was losing it too. "I'm going to scout out." He muttered, retracting the blade, grabbing his jacket and leaving the house.

Scouting was always easy for Marco and essential to the business no matter what level he was at. He'd started out as a look out when he was twelve and worked his way up with speed, driven by cunning and ruthlessness. Parks were easy. They had enough cover and people so that a few extra hands didn't really draw attention.

The way it worked was simple. You had your Look Outs. What they did was obvious. They watched for authorities and if they spotted any they would give a wordless signal, most of the time a clap or a whistle and the others would scatter. The runners were the ones that did the actual interaction. They would talk to the 'customers', take the money and run to the dealers, dropping up the money and picking up the weight bought. That way the cash and the drugs were never in the same hands. The dealers themselves hung back, hidden, highest in the ranks. Most of the time insuring that they never got caught.

Marco nodded to himself and looked around, picking out the places that he liked. He let his eyes linger on the path that Joe and he and walked down before tearing his eyes away. No, that was not a good spot. He didn't know why but it wasn't a good spot.

Growling at himself, he turned to see Scooch coming down one of the paths on his bike. He frowned as the boy stopped and smiled at him, evidently completely oblivious to the red mark on his face. Marco grabbed the handle bars as Scooch stopped the bike in front of him. "How you doing kid?" He asked, eyes running over his face.

Scooch grinned. "I'm good! Love the bike."

"Good," Marco muttered. "Good, it looks good on you. Your dad give you that on your face?" If Scooch had a mark on him he could only imagine what Joe looked like. He should have taken her home with him last night…even against her will. He'd tie her up and put her in the trunk if it kept those black and blues off her body.

"Nah." Scooch said quickly. "Just some guys at school."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Bet they look worse than you with Leon teaching you moves." He murmured, trying to keep the hiss of sarcasm down in his gut.

Scooch shook his head. "Leon won't teach me to fight. Say's I shouldn't if I want to play for the Dodgers."

Marco made a disgusted face as the boy climbed off the bike. "Not talking about fighting kid. Talking about not getting beaten up. Here." He pushed the bike to the grass. He showed the boy how to stand, how to block a hit quickly.

"I know how to cave." Scooch told him when he showed him how to take a punch. "Joe Joe showed me a long time ago."

Marco let out an exasperated breath through his nose. "Okay. So when they come out at you when you cave just kick em in the balls, real hard and fast. Pull your foot away quick so they can't grab it." He grabbed the boys foot when he kicked, making him fall into the grass.

"That's not fighting fair!" Scooch protested from his back on the ground.

Marco snorted as he saw Bobby coming up the paths with Annie at his side. "What's the point in fighting fair if you're going to lose kid?...Well if it isn't little Bobby."

"Scooch what the hell!? Get away from him!" Bobby yelled as Marco pulled Scooch up by the back of his shirt and patted him on the shoulder.

"Just showing him how to win a fight Bobby…something he's not going to learn from you or your brother." Marco snarled as the younger man pulled out his knife. "Really?" Marco asked, sounding bored.

"Scooch go back to the shop." Bobby ordered.

"But!"

"NOW Scooch." Bobby yelled, sending the boy riding off. "This mother fucker is mine!"

Annie screamed as he struck out too fast with the knife held over hand to stab into Marco. Marco grunted as he hit the younger man's wrist, making it pop before punching him hard in the face. Bobby fell to the ground in a heap, trying to get up as Marco delivered a firm kick to his ribs, sending him back to the ground gasping and coughing.

Annie ran to his side but Marco hurled her away hard, throwing her skinny body into the grass and away from them. He grabbed Bobby's pudgy cheeks in between his fingers squeezing as he kneeled over him and pulled out his knife.

"I think the kid and his cousin can take a hit better than you can." He snarled at him as he put the knife to his jaw, nicking some of the excess skin that flared out under his fingers. Bobby sputtered and squirmed. "Don't think they tear up as much as you either." He pulled the knife across the flesh, cutting lightly. "Tell _my _sweet little Joe Joe I miss her." He patted the boys cheek as his girlfriend came rushing over to his side, calling his name.

Pushing himself up Marco walked away easily, feeling a little bit better for a moment. He would have felt even lighter if it had actually been a fight.

* * *

"He said you were 'his Joe Joe'." Bobby spat at her as Joe tried to clean the cut on the side of his face.

"Would you just shut up and hold still Bobby!" Joe snapped as she grabbed onto his chin to try and get him to hold still.

Annie had brought Bobby over to the shop after his fight with Marco so that the other girl could disinfect the cut and put a bandage over it. Annie was going to just take him back to her place so that she could take care of him but Bobby had been on a rant about needing to find out what Marco was up to.

"Maybe he was just taunting you…I mean singling her out to get under your skin." Annie tried, raising her eyebrows behind Bobby so that Joe could see her. Bobby was next to a baby. He was cute and sweet with her and Annie loved that but he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. It would do him no good to find out that Joe had been seeing Marco without even knowing it. Worse than no good actually. It would just make things worse. "Right Joe?"

"Sure." Joe muttered as she pulled the cloth off of Bobby's face. He hissed at the irritation in pain. "Oh my god, stop being such a child! Scooch handles this better than you! You are such an idiot! What did you think you were doing attacking _Marco Vendetti?_"

Bobby wrinkled his nose. Maybe they were right. There was no way that Marco would ever put up with her talking like that to him. "He was with Scooch." He told her.

Joe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What was he doing playing with Scooch?" She asked, generously curious. He had already had his little thrust with her. What else did he want? Was he trying to threaten her by being around her cousin?

"Hell if I know! He was teaching him how to fight it looked like." Bobby whined as she went for the band aid, knowing that it would sting when she pressed it on. "Leon is going to flip out when he hears he was around the kid."

Joe pursed her pink lips as she pressed it onto him hard. "Bobby you are not going to say a word about this to Leon!" Joe commanded, pressing harder to prove her point. "He's already on his last leg of sanity with this." She took a page from Marco's book and grabbed his chin hard. "I fucking mean it! Keep your big trap shut!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Knyte: Lol I loooooved that he was teaching him to fight dirty. **

**Javanut: Thank you!**

**Gurl: Yeah she loves him but she knows she shouldn't.**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Marco spun his knife around in his hand as he looked down at the table, watching as the junk was put on the table for Jimmy to taste test and give him the okay on. He focused on the lines in the table that he could punch his knife into.

Where was Joanne tonight? What was she doing? Did she tell Leon yet…or gone to confide in Betsy about her shame? He hadn't heard a peep about it from anyone in the last three days. In fact it was like it never happened. He had waited the next three nights for Leon to slam into the club or into one of their neighboring businesses but nothing had happened.

Maybe he should go over there and push her more. He knew that he wouldn't be going over there for that though. He wanted to see her and check on her. She was probably ashamed…that had been part of the original plan but now he didn't want her to be. He wanted her to want to do it again.

He wondered what she looked like right now. Was she all bruised up because she hadn't come home that night she was with him? It had been late when she left…almost three in the morning. She was bound to have gotten the shit beaten out of her by her uncle for her actions. Because of him.

He plunged the knife into the table as he thought about it, making Jimmy jump and laugh.

"So what now Marco?" Philly asked from where he sat at the table with the other two men.

"Now we wait for them fucking Deuces to do something stupid." Marco snarled at his cousin like he was an idiot.

Jimmy was swaying in his chair, high as a kite off of their taste test. Marco starred down at the table. "Think Joey told them yet?" Marco glanced up at him from under his eyebrows. "That's why you were tapping that right?"

Marco glared at him. "Haven't heard anything about it so, no. Don't think she's told no one."

Jimmy smiled broadly, his high pushing away his common sense. "Gotta ask you," He laughed as Marco continued to glare. "How'd that piece feel? Bet she was fucking tight as hell."

Marco curled his lip, memories of Joe's whimpers and tight little body flooding his mind. His neck still had a little red mark on it from where her teeth had sunk into him and his body clearly remembered her nails gliding along his skin. "Better than someone like you could ever fucking even imagine." He growled out, half bragging, half taunting.

Philly glanced over at Jimmy as he leaned back in the chair, hoping that the other man would realize that it should be the end of the conversation.

He didn't of course. "What'd she taste like?"

Marco's chair scrapped against the floor as he went to the refrigerator and jerked it open with more force than necessary. Despite his violent nature he tried to let his work on their enemies be enough fear to stop his crew from mouthing off. There was no point in beating the shit out of them if he wanted them loyal.

"Always wanted to tap that." Jimmy continued as Philly's eyes stayed glued to Marco. He snapped the cap off the beer and took a long chug from it. "Since you're done with her you think I could wreck that little cute ass of h-"

Marco smashed the bottle to the floor, his lip curling as he launched himself at the high man, knocking him to the floor flat on his back. His fist pulled back, muscles in his arm tensing as he drove it into Jimmy's face, pounding once, twice…than once more before he yanked Jimmy up by the collar. "Told you never to think about her like that again!" He snarled. "Not done with her and even if I was," He slammed Jimmy's head back into the floor. "You think I'd let you touch what's mine?" He dropped the battered head to the floor as Jimmy lulled somewhere between consciousness and a deep black chasm.

He pushed himself up and glanced at his cousin, whipping his mouth off with his fingers. "Get him out of here. Don't want him in this house."

* * *

Joanne leaned on the counter as Betsy prodded her with questions while looking around the store. After the incident with her father and Scooch (Apparently she wasn't as threatening as she had hoped when it came to Bobby) Leon had told them to stick together and asked Tino to stay with them.

It was mid afternoon by now and there was a layer of rain coming down over the steaming city. It pelted and ran down the newly fixed window, making Joanne think of stormy blue eyes staring down at her, full of heat and intensity. She wondered if he had been faking the passion as he looked at her. She knew after three days that she hadn't been.

"Joe?" She snapped out of her thoughts to look back at Tino, standing in front of here. "Where'd you go right now?" He asked reaching out and putting his hand over hers.

Joe shook her head to herself and gave him a little smile. "No where. I'm right here." She lied.

Marco pushed down the street, through the drizzle, ducking from oning to oning to avoid getting him and his cigarette damp. He wanted her…wanted to see her. He wanted to know why she hadn't said anything to anyone. He wanted to know why she hadn't come back to him if she was still keeping it to herself.

He glanced through the window, his lip curling as he saw one of the Deuce boys hands brush over Joe's little hand, rubbing it as she gave him a sweet smile.

"You know you can talk to us Joe." Tino told her. "I don't know what's going on but the past few weeks you've been so distant."

Joe shook her head. What was she going to tell him? That she had feelings for someone that they all considered the son of the devil? "I…" She stopped as the door slammed open, sending a steamy gust of rain soaked air through the door. Marco stormed in, eyes locked onto her.

Tino straightened up right away, withdrawing his hand from Joe and trying to get in between him and the petite girl that he had zoned in on.

"Marco…" Betsy said in a half afraid voice.

She was completely ignored her and grabbed Joe by the arm, yanking her back with him and away from the other two. Joe jerked her arm, trying to get some distance despite the fact that her heart was clenching uncontrollably at seeing him. She felt a million different things: Anger, hurt, relief…maybe ever a little bit of affection trying to hide away. "Marco what are you-"

"You're coming with me." He told her in a solid voice.

Joe shook her head and pulled on her arm before Marco spun around, that fire and intensity she was used to seeing in his eyes. Lowering his head down quickly, he crashed his lips into hers, grabbing her other arm and pulling her against him harshly. His tongue plunged into her mouth as Joe tried to plant her hands on his chest to push him away. She could vaguely hear Betsy gasp in the background but everything seemed drown out by white noise. Her hands stopped pushing at him and gripped into his shirt instead as his hand came to the back of her head to force her lips harder against his.

"Marco! Joe! No!" Betsy ran up and tried to pull at Joe, snatching at her while trying to push Marco off the little woman.

Marco growled and pulled his lips away from the soft pink ones. He snarled as Betsy pulled at Joe and whipped his hand out, backhanding the blond woman across the face and sending her flailing backwards. "Never-"

He was cut up by a sharp slap that echoed through the room across the side of his face. Joe pulled back and placed herself in between him and Betsy. He starred at the little fearless woman in front of him in shock as he reached his fingers up to touch his cheek where her hand had connected. "Joe-"

Joe breathed hard, her heart racing in her chest. "Don't you ever hit her again!" Joe yelled at him, helping Betsy stand up straight while her eyes stayed glued to him. She pushed Betsy into Tino's arms while the other woman whimpered in pain. "What the hell Marco!? What are you doing here!?"

Marco lowered his hand and starred at her in astonishment. "You're coming with me." He told her firmly.

"Like hell she is!" Tino bit out, making Joe glance back at him.

"Leave." She told Betsy and Tino.

"What?" Betsy whimpered out, starring at her and Marco. "Joe what the hell is going on?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Marco hissed, eyes still locked on Joe. "She fell in love with me and then ran off after I fucked her."

Betsy starred at them in shock. "Joe?"

Joe pursed her lips together hard as she felt angry hot tears bubbling up. "Just go!" She yelled at them. "Tino get her some help!"

"We can't leave you with him!" Tino protested.

Marco let out a little chuckle of satisfaction. "Yes you can. I've already had every single part of her and she loved it."

Joe wrinkled her nose at him before turning back to her two friends. "He wont hurt me…just go. Please." She felt hot tears welling in her eyes. She watched as Tino and Betsy resigned, knowing that they were planning on going and getting help, before looking back at Marco as he starred at her with hard blue eyes.

"You actually hit me." He muttered, still half stunned and half amused. He had thought that his name would finally scare her. Obviously that wasn't the case. Anyone else would be on the ground right now. Something told him that he had already hurt her more than he ever could though.

"Why?" Joe asked in a chocked voice and for the first time he realized that her eyes were watering.

He frowned hard. "You didn't tell them so I think you know why."

Joe shook her head, erupting. "NO! Why couldn't you have just hurt me? Had me beaten!? Hell, even raped me? Why did you have to mess with me head? Anything besides this! Why did you have to come after me and leave me your stupid knife!"

Marco tilted his head to the side, his gut clenching. He didn't like this anymore. He didn't like seeing the strong little mouthy thing cry. "This hurt you more. The plan was to have you have you totally broken down…running to Leon." He took a step forward.

Joe shivered and squeezed her eyes shut at the feel of his body heat before pushing him away. His hands rose and grabbed her wrists to keep her close to his body and prevent her from doing something to ignite his rage. "Well congratulations! You did it. I care about you! And now they all know without me even telling them!" She felt a hot tear slip down her cheek as she admitted it.

"Joe I didn't think I would-" He started and pursed his lips together, shaking his head. "I didn't think I'd like you." He told her.

"Like me?" She spat. "You made me fall in love with you! Just to hurt me…not even me! To hurt them! It didn't even have anything to do with me!"

Marco frowned as he heard the words, unable to stop the tidal wave of unfamiliar emotion that had been building in him for days rolling around. "Come with me." He said again.

Joe shook her head, sending strands of hair across her damp cheeks. "Why would I do that? Why would you want me to? You're plan is done."

Marco took a step back to her. His stomach hurt from watching this and seeing her, knowing that in those few brief seconds that she had kissed him back that she still wanted him too. "Because you're my girl and I-" He was cut off by the click of a gun behind him. He closed his eyes and growled.

"Get the hell out of here." Came Bobby's voice from behind him.

"Not a good time Bobby." He ground out, eyes not leaving Joe's glassy ones. "You_ are _mine Joe whether you like it or not. No more pain. No one is ever going to touch you again. No one will ever even think about hurting you."

"No one but you." Joe said in a quiet but sarcastic voice, ignoring Bobby screaming for him to get out again.

Marco gave a slow little nod, reaching out and touching her arm with the tips of his fingers. "No one but me." He agreed.

"Get your hands off her asshole!" Bobby yelled cocking the gun. He wanted to blow this man away right now but Leon would want to deal with this once they figured out what was going on.

Joe looked up at him as the pads of his rough fingers scraped up and down her arm. She still wanted this…still cared but she shouldn't. There was no way in hell that she should. "Go Marco." She told him she reached into her pocket and pulled out his knife again, holding it to him. "I don't need to reminder."

Marco frowned. "Keep it." He muttered before turning, snarling and Bobby and leaving.


	15. Chapter 15

**VeritasKym: Does anyone actually like Bobby? Everytime he talks I want to slap him and tell him that he's an idiot….which probably reflects in Joe. Oh yeah….Marco should have cut out his eye or something. As usual Reedus knows his bad guys! Every word that Marco said in that movie made me want to die of joy….but that line to Scooch and the kind of sweet gravely way he said it…perfect.**

**marulk: Lol I was having so much fun writing him with scooch and him telling him not to bother fighting fair. You don't fight for honor. He fights to win!**

**WaterWarrior6 : Lol, haven't you noticed? I have to make things hard for my characters!**

**gurl3677: I know…I'm sorry. I will make him redeem himself though in the chapter after this one. I promise.**

**JavaNut: They do really need eachother don't they.**

**coconutcarter: Lol I'm glad you liked it enough to leave you wordless.**

**knyte : Lover….I'm sorry. I'm not giving Marco back.**

**Just so you all know. I cried while writing this chapter at the first scene.**

**Chapter Fifteen:**

"How could you be so stupid!" Leon yelled at Joe as he paced around the shop, running his hands through his hair angrily. "MARCO JOE!"

Joe watched him before glaring at Tino and Betsy. They had run straight to Leon, passing Bobby in the street and told them everything that had happened with Marco. Every word he said, every kiss he bruised her lips with. "I didn't know it was him. Not until after."

"He manipulated her Leon." Betsy put in. "You know how he is…what he does." She tried to defend the girl. Despite everything she was having a hard time ignoring the way that Marco had pulled Joe to him like she was a drink of water in the desert.

Joe frowned and looked out the window at the rain that was now a steady pouring outside. Yes, he did those things; admitted them himself but she had let herself fall for him. She had asked him to take her home, agreed to go out with him. She'd been the one to fall in love with a man that, no, she didn't know the name of but knew was dangerous and on the other side of this little street war.

"He raped her." Leon said sharply.

Joes head shot out. "No!" She said quickly making them all look at her as she pulled herself from where she was sitting on the counter. "No he didn't Leon! I wanted him." She still wanted him, still cared about him for some reason even after everything. Maybe it was she could still see some part of that 12 year old he would never admit was part of him in there…the kid had been and the adult that he could have been if someone had bothered to give a damn.

"You don't know what you're saying Joe." Bobby said.

Betsy nodded in agreement. "You're in shock Joanne."

Joanne ran her hands through her dark hair in frustration. "I'm not! You're all in denial! I wanted to be with him! I liked it! Just like Ali liked doing drugs Leon!"

"Shut up Joe!" Leon yelled at her. "He raped you and killed Ali!"

"Ali was a drug addict who killed himself Leon!" Joe yelled at him. "The difference in between he and I is that I'm still alive so I can fight you pinning me as a martyr on your list for killing Marco."

Unconsciously Leon stepped forward in anger. Betsy jumped up in front of him and tried to hold him back as he pushed forward. "Leon no! She's in shock! She doesn't know what she's saying!"

Joe crinkled her nose at all of them. "I am not a child! I know exactly what I'm saying! Get out! All of you!"

"Joe stop it!" Bobby yelled at her.

"I said get the fuck out!" She screamed, close to angry tears again. She watched in anger and frustration as they all grumbled and moved out of the store.

"This isn't over Joe. He's going to pay for all of it!" Leon said angrily as he slammed the door behind him.

Joe let out a chocked sound of frustration as she felt the sting of her anger flare into something like heartbreak for the first time. She squeezed her eyes shut before leaning with both of her hands against the checkout counter. Lowering her head she let out a long shuddering breath before she hurled her hands out with a lung piecing scream and knocked one of the stands of seeds off from next to her. She followed it, smashing some of the ceramic pots to the ground while hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

She threw and battered everything she could get her hands, hair flying around in a mess of motion and chaos on before she slumped down to the floor, digging her nails into the top of her head as she cried. Finally the angry tears turned into sobs, jolting her entire body on the ground. Why did he have to say that she was his girl? That no one would touch her or hurt her as long as he…what? Wanted her? Cared about her in some twisted way? Why was he teaching Scooch how to fight? She really was falling love that fucked up, evil man. What did that make her?

Letting her head fall into her knees she shook against herself as the tear continued to gush like the rain outside, falling and sliding down on her cheeks like glass of the window.

"Joe?" She heard through her arms finally. A small thin hand touched her shoulder and she looked up to see Annie crouching in front of her. Pushing the tears off her cheeks she tried to control her breathing as she looked into the grey blue eyes of the other woman. "Are you okay?" Annie asked slowly.

Joe tried to answer bit it just came out as a rigid hiccup of sound.

Annie rubbed her shoulder gently as she knelt down in front of her, having to push away some of the broken pottery and glass first. "Bobby told me what happened." She said as she looked at her. Joe continued to scrub at her cheeks and tried to breathe normally. "Did…he do this?" She asked.

Joe shook her head quickly, again hiccuping a sound that might have been some kind of half hysterical laughter this time. "I…I might have gotten a little mad." She said in a whisper, voice hoarse from yelling and crying.

Annie gave her a sympathetic smile and looked around at the chaos "Your 'little mad' is kind of like a hurricane." She said making Joe laugh and put her chin on her knees, gulping down air. Annie looked back at her. "Did you really slap Marco Vendetti?" She asked, still stunned at that part of the story.

Joe gave a little laugh and nodded. "Yeah, yeah I did."

* * *

Marco slammed the refrigerator shut and rested his forehead against it as he opened the bottle. He needed to drowned some of this down. He'd been pissed; seeing that Deuce touch her; knowing that he had never wanted someone to stay in his bed before. She was the first woman he had ever wanted to sleep beside him and she had run off and slept on her fire escape instead.

She didn't need the reminder…a reminder of him. A reminder of what he had done to her. A reminder of four perfect fucking hours in that car and in his bed. Four hours where he could forget who he was in her sweet mouth and body. A reminder of feelings that she had started to have for him and that he had destroyed. Just like he was good at...destroying everything.

He slammed his hand into the cold steel in front of him in anger as he closed his eyes. He could still salvage this. Joanne wasn't the only thing on his mind. He was still going to get that rat.

His lip curled as he thought about it. He was the bad guy and the bad guy didn't get the girl. But at least the entire fiasco had served its purpose, even if it was shattering something in his cold chest.

"Philly!" He bellowed out into the house, prying his head off the door. "Call the boys up…tell em to be ready." He took a deep breath as he listened to the other man lumbering to the phone. "Call Charlie and his boys too. We're going to crush em."

* * *

Joe swept up the remains of the last ceramics that she had hurled to the ground. Annie had stayed and helped her, which Joe had to say she was grateful for. Not even just because she had made such a mess of things herself but having a person who wasn't talking about how stupid she was helped her forget about the events even for a moment. She actually kind of liked the woman. She had a smart mouth like her and was laughing and not focusing enough to make cleaning a chore.

She couldn't help but think what she was doing with stupid, hot headed, arrogant Bobby. Her and Bobby had never really gotten along very well. When Joe asked Annie shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess he's just not like the other guys I've been with," She looked at Joe. "He's sweet."

Joe snorted. "They're all sweet until you do something to piss them off." She responded, looking around. Sweet…she didn't think she could really deal with a sweet man. It always seemed half fake to her. When it wasn't fake she knew that they couldn't keep up with her.

She had finally sent Annie on her way. Most of the mess was cleaned up and she was more than glad that the other woman had helped. Filling the dust pan she took it over the the trash can behind the counter and dumped it, giving another appraising look over the shop before metally starting an inventory of everything she was going to have to replace. She wasn't going to be eating for a while, that was for sure.

Grabbing a pen she started scribbling the list down. After a few moments she glanced up when the shop bell rang. Jimmy stood there looking like seven shades of shit had been beaten out of his face. His eye was red and looked like some of the vessels had burst. His already scared eyebrow was split open and his mouth was swelled and punctured.

Joe looked back down. "Mouth off to the wrong guy Jimmy?" She asked him casually with a little smirk to herself as she twisted her neck.

A sharp pain swept up her arm as Jimmy yanked her around hard and slammed her back so that the counter ground into the middle of her back. "Jimmy what the he-"

She was cut off as the back of his hand slammed into the side of her face, sending her upper body to the side as he kept her held in front of him. "What did my whore sister tell you?!" He demanded.

Joe winced as she straightened herself before locking with his discoloured eyes and spitting a mouthful of blood in his face.

Jimmy stared at her in shock for a moment before slapping her hard again. Joe jolted to the side and used the angle to hide her pulling out the knife she had tucked into her pocket. "Tell me what she said about me!"

"She didn't say shit about you Jimmy!" Joe yelled, hoping that it would be enough to end this confrontation. Of course her mouth got the better of her. "No one gives a damn what you do!"

"I don't believe you!" Jimmy yelled at her. "What she want you to go running to Marco with it?" Joe didn't answer, completely confused as to what he was talking about. "Answer me!" Jimmy demanded.

"Get off me you idiot!" Joe said struggling.

Jimmy gripped her hard by the neck, squeezing and crushing around the slender column. "ANSWER ME!" He demanded again.

Joe squirmed but that only made the bright dots in her vision brighter, faster and multiply. Gripped the knife tight she slashed it across his chest, making Jimmy jump back with a howl of pain. Joe shuttered and rubbed her throat, trying to regain her equilibrium as she saw Jimmy come closer. Against that Marco told her she took the knife overhand and plunged it into his shoulder fiercely.


	16. Chapter 16

Knyte:** Hey! Marco choses to stay with me! You get the sweet ones I get the crazy ones! **

**VeritasKym: Ohhhhh man I would be so scared if I was Jimmy! I liked Annie. She's the one who had a head on her shoulders. I loved when Jimmy was talking about the money and she was like "Here Jimmy, have another beer." Oh man when Marco said that in the movie I nearly had a mini heart attack! So attractive. **

**JavaNut: I can't leave you all hanging! **

**Leyshia Gisel: Oh she's fighting back! She doesn't take shit for no reason! She only takes it from her uncle to protect Scooch. Everyone else if fair game!**

**Gurl: Marco….pride….No! *Sarcasm***

**Happy Thanks Giving to everyone who celebrates it! Heres a chapter I think you will all be thankful for!**

**If you are reading Please Review!**

**Chapter Sixteen: **

Marco sat at his kitchen table, beer bottles littered around it with an ashtray in front of him, half full already. He counted through the fresh, rigid bills in front of him, making sure that they were all there and accounted for, his lips pursed around his cigarette. He leaned back and scratched the tattoo over his bare bicep as he wrapped the stack and moved it to the side, starting in on the next once.

He frowned and started recounting as he heard a knock on the front door. There was a moment of pause and he started to count again, leaning forward on his elbows. A few seconds later it came again, louder this time.

He gave a side long, annoyed glance at the entrance way to the kitchen. "Someone get that!" He yelled as the knock came again.

"Lazy ass hole!" Philly yelled back to Christopher, one of the Vipers, who was in the living room so that he could grab his boys for a fight at a moments notice.

Marco pulled his smoke from his mouth to take a sip of his beer as he heard Philly open the front door. "Marco!" Philly yelled, his voice sounding confused and panicked.

"God Dammit!" Marco swore as he put the cigarette back between his lips and gathered up the stakes of cash, stowing them in their hiding place under the false floorboard. He charged out of the kitchen, annoyed and swearing before pushing his cousins large frame out of his way.

He was about to yell at whoever was at the door but stopped dead. Joanne stood there, her dark hair and cloths soaked through from the torrential downpour outside. Her chest was rising and falling from running, the blue, button down, short sleeve shirt coated with rain smeared blood. He could see dissolving trails of the red mess running away from her skin where the shirt was slightly open at the top.

His lips almost lost grip of the cigarette. "Joe, what the hell!?" He asked her in shock.

Joe tried to calm her still raging heart beat as she looked at him in front of her. He looked shocked with a little bit of panic in his eyes. "You said…that no one would try to hurt me." She pointed out behind her with the bloody knife clenched tight in her hand to the street, as though she was gesturing to the assailant.

Marco gritted his teeth, looking at the red ring around her neck. "Who?" He growled out. He had a feeling he already knew that answer to that.

Joe shook her head. "I just don't want your gang coming after me. I didn't know who else to go to that would… could stop them."

Marco gave a little nod as he watched her shutter, still being pelted by the rain. "Come inside." He told her, moving slightly away from the door.

Joe shook her head negative again, wincing at the pain in her neck. "I just wanted to tell you that Jimmy is probably bleeding out and that he deserved it!" She said, feeling herself shake under the wet cloths sticking to her body. She clenched the knife tighter in her hand. Now that she was here and in front of him she didn't know if he would side with her after everything today.

Marco frowned and reached out slowly, grabbing her hand and pulling it closer to him. He pried her fingers away from the knife as gently as he could from the tightly wrapped digits. She took a deep shaking breath as he finally got them loose enough and took the knife away. "Joe," He put on his sweetest, most innocent, butter-like voice and looked back up at her face. "Come inside."

Joe finally gave a little nod, able to resist and stepped in out of the rain. Marco took a moment to rub off her wet face with his thumbs and move some of the soaked thick hair away. He wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, looking down at her. "You're safe." It was true. No one would dare try and hurt her in front of him, his cocky side knew it. He glanced up at Philly and Christopher who were staring at the blood and rain soaked girl in astonishment.

Marco tightened his hold on her, tucking her securely under his arm. "Bring me Jimmy." He snarled at Christopher, unable to hold back the misdirected rage.

Christopher nodded quickly. You didn't mess with what was Marco's…ever. "Where should I look?"

Marco glanced down at Joes blood covered shirt. "Hospital." He told him. "Philly, go to her uncles place. Get her some cloths." Joe went to protest but stopped at the look in his eye and the way his strong jaw was working. "Now." He told both of the men, leading Joe down the hall under his arm.

Joe took a deep breath as Marco closed the door behind him a retrieved a dry towel from a basket of un put away, unfolded laundry.

He tossed it on the bed, glancing at her. "You look like a wet alley cat." He murmured with a ghost of a smirk on his face. He took a step towards her and she took a matching one backward but he didn't stop advancing.

The back of her knees hit the side of the bed and she felt a stab of panic mixed with something very, very different. Marco reached out, looking at the shirt before beginning on the buttons at the bottom of it. "I'm still mad at you." Joe found herself saying as she watched his large hand work at the second one.

Marco glanced up at her and nodded with a smirk. "I'm mad at you too." He muttered, narrowing his eyes back down at his hands. He normally just ripped these things open. "If you were a normal, stupid woman this would have gone a lot smoother and a lot faster."

Joe closed her eyes to resist an eye roll. "Sorry." She mumbled sarcastically. Marco narrowed his eyes more but didn't say anything, watching his large fingers move on the tiny buttons at her middle. "You don't have to do this." She said, finally opening her eyes as he got to the last top two buttons.

Marco frowned. "You're cold."

"I'm fine."

He popped the last button open and glanced at her face as his hands ran up her small sides. He could feel goose bumps prickling her skin as he touched it. "You're shaking."

Joe swallowed down. "Maybe I'm scared." She retorted.

Marco shook his head and reached around her for the towel. "You're not scared. If you were, you wouldn't have said it." She made an expression of consideration, looking at his face as he turned hers to the side to look at the red on her neck. He made an irritated noise in the back of his throat. "If you had come with me this wouldn't have happened." He muttered as he pulled at the bottom and zipper of her pants. They fell to the floor with the weight of the water.

Joe kicked out of them and took the towel from him, pulling her undone shirt off and wrapping the towel around herself. Even her bra was soaked. She pulled it off as he watched her, rubbing his lips now that his hands weren't occupied. "If I had come with you, you would have thought I was one of your bitches." She muttered.

Marco growled slightly and pulled her chin up. "You have idea how fucking lucky you are." She raised an eyebrow. "If you were anyone else you'd be on your ass crying right now." He closed his eyes as the words came out. He was going to fuck this up again.

Joe looked up at the tensed expression on his face. "If you were going to do that, you would have done it when I slapped you." She said quietly, making him look down at her again.

He nodded slowly before lifting her chin up higher with his knuckles and kissing her slowly. It wasn't as frantic this time, more like the long deep kiss he had given her last time they were in this room. His tongue slowly circled hers in her mouth before tangling with it, deep breaths passing over her cheek as he pulled her closer. She gripped into his sides as their bodies pressed together, holding the towel to her while she took in his body heat.

Breaking away from her, he let out a long hissing breath and ran his fingers through her hair as the storm picked up outside into a rumbling mess of thunder. "Jimmy didn't rape you did he?" He muttered, watching her closed eyes.

Joe shook her head quickly. "I didn't give him the chance."

Marco let out a low chuckle. "That's my girl." He murmured in an almost threatening voice, contradicting the way his hands were moving her wet hair away from her face softly. "What did he want?"

Joe opened her eyes to his sharp blue ones. "He thought I knew something." She said, furrowing her eye brows. She liked this man. Some sick twisted part of her was starting to love him but she was still not going to mention Annie's name. "He said I was going to run to you with it but I don't know anything. I swear."

Marco nodded. Jimmy was hiding something from him. No wonder he was so twitchy. Not that it mattered. When Christopher brought him here he'd get it out of him. "So he tried to get it out of you than what?" He asked in a low murmur, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth.

Joe shivered under the touch. "He started trying to chock me…so I pulled your knife and slashed him. He started coming at me and I dug it into his shoulder. When he fell I pulled the knife out in case he came after me and ran for it."

Marco nodded again, digging his fingers back into her hair. "Straight here?" Joe nodded and he couldn't help but let out a little satisfied smile. She hadn't run to Willies, she hadn't run to Leon's…she'd come straight here to him. "I'm going to take care of it." He muttered, pulling the towel away from her body. "When people think they can mess with what's mine, all kinds of bad shit starts happening."

Joe let out a little sigh. "So we're back to me being 'yours'?"

Marco slipped his fingers into the sides of her underwear and pulled at them. "You never weren't." He muttered, pushing them down and watching as they fell down her legs. "I'm still mad about you leaving the other night."

Joe looked up at him, licking her lips as she suddenly realized that he had managed to get her standing naked in front of him with no more than one kiss and a few well placed words. She was kind of surprised that he had taken so long to get her in bed in the first place. "You're always mad." She retorted, her hands instinctively reaching in between them and pulling at his belt.

Marco nodded and began gently skimming his teeth over the red marks on her neck. "I wont be tonight. You're staying here."

Joe shivered as his hot breath touched her icy skin and pulled the belt open. "I'm still mad at you about hitting Betsy…and using me."

Marco frowned into her skin. "That parts over." He muttered angling his lips back up to hers before she could protest.

Joe pulled open the button of his jeans as his teeth teased her bottom lip. "Say you're sorry?" She whispered against his lips.

Marco grunted and kissed her hard again trying to drown out the request from her memory. She pulled her lips away and moved her hands back up to his chest, abandoning his pants. He let out a low groan. "You want me to say I'm sorry?" He muttered.

Joe gave a little smile and ran her tongue along the scar on his jaw, his fingers dug into her hips tighter and his head lulled to the side. "Please?"

Marco lifted a hand to her hair again as he tried to hold onto coherent thought. "Joanne I don't say…" He groaned as she nipped his scar and then pulled away and out of his grasp quickly. "Shit. Okay!" He snatched her back to him quickly before she could wrap the towel back around herself. "Okay…" He said quieter. He didn't think he had ever actually really said this before. "Okay. I'm… I am." He nearly whispered as though someone else would here in the abandon room over the loud rain and thunder.

Joe bit into her bottom lip, drawing his eyes to it. "Good enough." She laughed as he growled and picked her up, legs wrapping around his waist as he dropped them both to the bed with her on top of him.

He didn't know how she just did that…why he found that he actually meant it. At least he wished he meant it so that he would have had her the last few days. He quickly let it go as she pulled the shirt over his head and ran her fingers along his strong chest.

Jimmy pushed through the rain towards the house, clenching at his torn apart shoulder. He clenched his teeth together at the stabbing pain. If he could get to Philly he would patch him up without any questions.

He used his lumbering body, half on the edge of unconsciousness, to push open the stiff metal ringed gate in the backyard. He was trying to think of some story he could tell Marco that would get him out of the new mess he was in. If he could think of something she had done…maybe that she was sleeping with Leon or Bobby he could make Marco hate her and not listen to her. Yeah that was perfect.

His hopes were dashed as he passed by the window and saw the two bodies moving against each other. "Shit!" He muttered.

Marco pushed his hips up under her as Joe pulled down his zipper and pushed herself up on her knees so that he could yank them off his narrow hips. She moved to climb off of him but Marco grabbed her hips and held her there as he kicked his jeans off his ankles.

Joe whimpered out and tossed her head back as he moved her hips over him and pulled them down inch by inch over him, watching himself disappear into her body under the small patch of while kept, dark curls. "Fuck…" He chocked out as his eyes darted up to see her head fall back and her mouth open. Her chest and breast heaved at the sensation of him, little body working at the completely new angle. One of her hands fell to his tight, flexing stomach as he started moving her in a slow deep rhythm.

She cried out at the sensation and he grinned, reaching up with one hand to work her nipples as he watched her. Joe bit into her lip at the deep sensation that ran though her from her filling her so completely. It had only been a few days but this was completely different than anything that she had ever experienced before. Her hand clenched and unclenched, tiny nails skimming his chest and stomach as she fought to not buck on top of him. His neck went back as his feet and cafes dug into the bed, lifting his hips so that she was grinding hard on him for a few second.

Joe whimpered at the feeling and braced both of her hands beside him. He pushed slightly up immediately, skimming her nipples roughly with his teeth and tongue. She could feel a thin layer of sweat mixing with the water that was still dripping its way out of her hair.

Marco shuddered and moaned out curses as he felt the chilly strand of hair hit him and contrast her now heated little body. This was too good…it was never going to last. He was never going to last.

"Marco please." Joe pleaded as she panted.

He slammed his head back into the mattress when she pleaded his name, unable to stop his dick from jerking inside of her and forcing her to pick up the pace with his hands. Grunting he put one of his hands behind him and pushed himself up to sitting, pressing their chests together and kissing her hard. His arm snaked around her waist while his tongue did the same to hers.

Joe whimpered against him as his renewed grip and position rubbed ever sensitive area inside and outside of her. Her entire body felt like it was on fire as she clenched onto him, heat flooding through her and pounding in time with the rain.

Marco pulled away and pressed his nose against hers, smirking through his deep breath. Her breast pressed against his and he couldn't help but like hearing her beg. "Please what?" He whispered teasingly against her lips, voice silken as he pushed hard into her, rocking her little body against him faster. Her only response was a gasping whimper as her forehead fell to his shoulder. He clenched her body tighter against him as she nipped at his collarbone. "Beg for me sweetheart." He commanded.

"Marco!" She screamed into his skin as her body twitched and contracted against him in the second earth shattering orgasm of her life. Both of them were with him…unyielding and mind numbing.

Marco groaned loud and bit into the inside of his cheek, bucking his hips harder and faster under her as he came gasping. He filled her completely as froze as he pressed her twitching body harder down on him. He came hard…harder than he ever had in his life, his entire body twitching and failing.

"God damn." He muttered hoarsely as he fell back, bringing her with her, hearts pounding against each other.


	17. Chapter 17

**Melissa: I know! She got the best that anyone is ever going to get from Marco. Jimmy is so screwed and yes he is the creeper!**

**Waterwarrior: Best apology ever. But lets face it him saying "I am" is a really big step in Marco world**

**VeritasKym: No Marco is not going to rape Betsy. As far as Leon is concerned he's raping Joe.**

**Leyshla Gisel: Lol maybe not all of it but it's a start…him not being a dick to her.**

**Gurl: I can't stay mad at Marco for more than five minutes. Everything he does bad or good I'm just "Oh Marco…you blew up a car; bad Marco…but you looked so sexy doing it. Okay. We're good." Thanks for the dirty talk this morning *wink wink***

**Javanut: Lol. Yep!**

**Coconut Carter: I know but he's Marco. Marco says horrible shit. Plus he was hurt. Hurt that she didn't stay, hurt that she didn't come back to him…and to top it all off she didn't even tell anyone so ontop of being hurt he was mad because his plan didn't work!**

**SO I know this has some sappy parts but I wanted to make it clear that while Marco is still mean evil Marco he is falling for Joe.**

**Chapter Seventeen:**

Marco was a light sleeper. Prison had only made that habit more pronounced. He was wrapped around something small, warm and smooth. He pressed his face farther into something silky and kept his eyes closed, still half asleep in the dark.

He'd woken up from a light sleep once already. Joe had given him his space in the bed, clearly sensing that he was by no means a cuddle. She was lying on her side facing him, her head resting on his forearm as her chocolate eyes faded. He'd let himself drift off as he waited for Philly to come back with Jimmy or news. Opening his eyes he saw her slip closer to him in her sleep, nuzzling her nose into his side and giving a little sigh. He'd frowned, pretty sure that he didn't like this…shouldn't like this. He'd let her anyways and fallen back asleep.

Inhaling deep he heard another quiet knock from his door and finally opened his eyes. Pursing his lips he found that the little balls of silken warmth was actually Joanne. He'd shifted in the night and pressed into her back, one leg pressed in between her little thighs. His face was burying into the crook of her neck.

He jolted up quickly, propping himself on both arms as he looked down at Joanne in confusion. Another knock came from the door along with Philly's normal loud voice trying to be quiet. Grabbing for his pants he pulled them on quickly, glancing over at the sleeping girl in the bed.

Joe groggily opened her eyes, stretching out under the blankets and seeing Marco stand up from the side of the bed to pull the jeans over his ass.

"Marco?" She asked as he glanced over his shoulder at her. She sat up slowly, looking around with a little bit of her own confusion.

Marco swallowed down as looked at the beautiful, naked woman in his bed. Not that before him going to prison naked women weren't a regular thing but Joe? She just looked different in there. "Be right back." He muttered.

Joe rubbed her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face, looking at the door where she could hear the uneven strides of Philly waiting for him. She glanced at the window and saw that it was late and the rain had stopped. "I should go home." She muttered, looking around to see if her fresh cloths that Philly had been told to get were in the room.

Marco frowned and finished up on his belt before walking around to where she was sitting on the side of the bed, holding the sheet to herself and picking up her now dry pants. He took them and threw them to the other side of the room. Putting his hands on her sides he pushed her back onto the bed, crawling on top of her and biting into her collarbone. He grinned and kissed it when she little out a small squeak of surprise mixed with pain. "You stay right fucking here. I'll be back for more of that." He muttered, licking where he had just bitten and kissed as she laughed.

He pushed himself up and looked down at her for a moment, rubbing his lips before walking over to the door shirt in hand. He turned to her again, pointing his index finger at her threateningly. "Stay."

Joe tried to hold back her smile, pushing her lips together. "Yes sir." She joked making him shake his head at her as he opened the door.

Joe smiled to herself and stretched as he slipped out of the room, taking a total inventory of her body. Her neck felt sore from Jimmy earlier but it didn't hurt too much. She prodded at the markers with her fingers for a moment to moving along to the more pleasurable aches. She lowered her hand to the spot of her collarbone, still damp from his mouth.

She sighed happily and lay back down, feeling out the sore muscles of her body that were pleasantly rearranged by him. She was sure her hips and butt hand finger and hand marks on them. It didn't matter…she didn't care. It was too good. He was too good…for someone that was meant to be bad. Even if he was she had to admit that he was at least trying to be good to her.

She had woken up as he curled into her back in his sleep and couldn't help but smile. Yeah, when he was awake he was a hard ass that wouldn't even dream about curling around a woman but in his sleep…well, in his sleep he couldn't help it.

Marco closed the door behind him and went out into the living room lighting up a cigarette as he walk shirtless over to Philly and Christopher. "Where is he?" He asked.

Philly shook his head. "We couldn't find him Marco…no ones seen him. Checked his apartment, the hospitals…I even went to the club." He licked his lips. "When I was at my place, Leon crashed his car through the garage door all ranting and screaming about you raping Joe."

Marco took his smoke out of his mouth as he quirked an eyebrow. "Does it sound like I'm raping her?" He almost laughed. "Call Fritzy. Tell him what his golden boy did. Let's get this going." No his plan hadn't worked out the way he had planned but Leon was still pissed and raddled. Maybe he could get the girl and get the rat. "Find me Jimmy…fast." He muttered.

Marco slipped back into the room after finishing his smoke and having a drink. He looked at the sleeping woman in the bed again, standing at the end and putting his hands against it as he watched her snuggle into his blankets in her sleep. Her hair had dried and was now a shinny shade of brown, fanning and tangling around his pillow. No woman had ever looked so good in his bed, her little body disappearing under the blankets in no more than a little bump.

Seemingly sensing him in her sleep her brown eyes, almost black in the night fluttered open. She rolled towards him so that she could look at the intimidating figure at the bottom of the bed, blue eyes almost glowing. "Hey." She said with a little tired smile.

Marco pursed his lips together and continued to look her over. There was something about this woman; something that he didn't know he could feel before. "I'm going to have to go see Fritzy soon." He told her as she sat up and tucked her arms around her legs.

Joe licked her lips. "How soon?" She didn't want him to go do whatever his plan was. It could only hurt him or Leon…probably both of them. She didn't want either of them to be engulfed by their stupid revenge plot.

"Half an hour." He murmured crawling back onto the bed again. He pulled her arms away from her knees and separated her legs, running his tongue along his lips. He didn't want to leave her alone here. She might leave…she might get taken away from him. Until he found Jimmy he didn't want to let her out on her own. He didn't want her hearing what Leon was saying.

Using a hand he pushed her down by her sternum. She went with him though her sleepy eyes widened. Grabbing her by the ribs he placed hard sucking kisses down her neck and chest, making her sigh. She liked when he was hard with her and he loved that she liked it. "Even if you are ever with another man, you are going to wish he was me." He murmured as he reached her stomach, circling her belly button with his tongue.

Joe bit her lip and squirmed making him move his hands from her ribs to her hips, pinning them to the mattress hard. "Don't move." He muttered with a smirk. He was going to be the first man to do this to her. The only man.

Joe craned her neck up, still biting into her lip as he moved lower on her, parting her legs more. "What are you-"

"Shut up Joe!" He hissed, ducking his head down and taking a long lick from her.

Joe gasped as her head dropped back, unsure of the sensation but still knowing that she liked it. His tongue began to move in slow deliberate circles around her and her hips strained against his hands. Her fingers gripped into his shoulders and hair tightly, half heartedly trying to pull him away as she tried to get used to the unfamiliar sensation.

Marco smirked against her sweetness while he owned her with his mouth, silently claiming her in every way possible. "Don't make me tie you down Joanne." He murmured as he pulled away to teasingly blow on her sensitive flesh.

Her back arched off the mattress and chest worked as heat built up in her. She was literally shaking in his hands as he came back down and sucked her into his mouth. She whimpered and moaned something that was close to his name. Marco snickered to himself as he watching her squirm. Pushing himself up he whipped his lips with his fingers, enjoying her taste again.

Joe shuddered as he crawled back over her, his muscles tensing as he leaned over her, putting his lips to her ear. "No one else will _Ever _make you feel like this." He hissed. It sounded like a promise and a threat at the same time.

The words made her shiver against him right before his lips attached to hers. He had every intention of leaving her like this, begging for him but the way she kissed him back hard and wrapped her arms around his neck, the way her legs rose to his ribs left him out of control.

Joe arched her back up to him as the kissed, silently willing him down onto the bed with her. Fritzy could fucking wait. Pulling away from his lips she looked up at him leaning her head back down on the pillow with her fingers wrapped around the hair at the back of his neck.

Marco frowned to himself for a moment as he looked down into those big brown eyes, so pleading, so adoring, so his. "Fuck it." He muttered, untangling her fingers from his hair and flipping her over onto her hands and knees. "I'll leave in an hour." He mutter, pushing onto his knees and pulling at his belt.

* * *

Marco exhaled from his cigarette, blowing little rings as he watched Joe fall asleep, her body facing away from him but still close enough from him to feel her body heat. He had to admit he was struggling with it. This need to be close, to touch her, it threw him off. He had never even remotely considered something like this kind of….relationship before. Reaching out, he slipped his fingers into the ends of her hair. He licked his bottom lip as he pulled away from her neck and he could see the thumb prints from where Jimmy's hands had squeezed.

He felt a stab of panic. He'd leave Christopher and Philly here. Give them express orders not to let Jimmy near her and to kill him if he tried. Whatever secret Jimmy thought she knew, he'd beat it out of him first.

Stubbing out his smoke again he leaned over her, listening to her even breathing. He pressed his nose behind her ear. "No one is going to take you away from me." He whispered into her hair, sure that she was asleep again. Joe tried to keep her breath from catching as she heard it, fighting back the little smile at the soft promise and the kiss he placed behind her ear. Marco closed his eyes and took a deep breath from her. "Stay here for me sweetheart."


	18. Chapter 18

**GypsyWitchBaby: I know! There is so much going on! Thank you for reading! **

**Leyshla Gisel: You don't like Marco with having a little bit of a thing for evil! Plus I've always had a thing for bad boys that are only nice to me. Its kind of empowering in a twisted way. **

**WaterWarrior: Yeah he does. He loves her but he's still and evil bastard! **

**Javanut: Besides the fact that he wants to kill someone she cares about and she wants both of them to live. **

**VeritasKym: You know I always have something up my sleeve girl! I know. I'm a perv that way too. So hot. Sex is one thing but the oral sex ones are just so easy to make into this total surrender dominance kind of thing. So hot.**

**Gurl: I know! You text me that Line and I nearly had a heart attack on my sofa! And him hissing it over her ear in a promise threat…..shivers! **

**Coconutcarter: Isn't that cute? And he's all surprised and shocked that he did it.**

**Knyte: I wish it was Marco….I always wish it was Marco. **

**Yes Marco is still evil everyone. Just because he loves Joe doesn't really mean that everything else flies out the window. I like him evil. **

**Chapter Eighteen:**

Leon was pissed…more than pissed. He had gone back for Joe after he had calmed down, convinced that he could make her see reason.

She was like his little sister. One that he may not be able to protect from her Uncle but her could at least protect her from Marco. He knew that Marco was after her. He'd already raped her. Her body, her mind. He was in there, like a snake coiled around her and all he wanted to do was bite her; devour her; destroy her. All to get at Leon. Leon couldn't have that. He should have kept a better eye on her, not been so preoccupied. He should have known. Joe was so young…so pretty. She was something innocent and Marco loved to destroy the young ones…the kids. Just like Ali.

But she'd been gone…a huge splatter of blood on the floor, soaking on the tile lazily when he came in. Marco had hurt her and was doing god knows what to her now.

Now he sat at Fritzy's arguing with him. Not pleading his case but letting the other man know that there would be more blood and that blood would be Marco Vendetti's.

"Time for you two to grow up!" Fritzy was bellowing down at him. "No more Deuces, no more Vipers. No more Kings and fucking Queens!"

Leon shook his head hard, looking straight forward, thinking about his brother and completely forgetting about Joe. He always came back to this. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. "I can't do that Fritzy. This is between me and Marco."

Fritzy let out an exasperated sound. "Get Marco out here."

Leon flinched in his chair as one of Fritzy's guys went into the back room. The mobster rested his elbows on his desk as he sat down in the chair and wove his fingers together, waiting as the devil was brought out of the back room.

Marco smirked to himself as he sucked off his fingers, a million things to say to provoke the other man running through his head. Man? No, this was a rat, not a man. He walked slowly up to him, a slow sly smile, twitching the mole on his upper lip.

Marco licked off each of his fingers one by one as he held out his other leather cuffed wrist. Leon starred hard at him, unyielding, unmoving. Marco could change that…easy. "Humm…" He murmured softly, raising his eyebrows at Leon. He stuck the tip of his ring finger into his mouth and sucked some of the left over sauce from the pizza in the back off of it. "Not as good sweet little Joe." Marco smirked and withdrew him finger as Leon tensed. "Then again nothing has really melted in my mouth quite like her before."

Leon narrowed his eyes at the other man. "Let her go Marco. She's nothing to you."

Marco's grin spread wider. Oh, if only Leon knew. Leon wanted to think it was rape? Let him. He twitched his hand out farther. "Can we hurry this up?" He murmured low, craning his neck out and cocking his head slightly to the side. His blue eyes shinned with evil intention. "I'm getting hard just thinking about your baby sister squirming under me."

The right hook came over his mouth quickly, just like he had expected and counted on, creating a small trail of blood on his lip as he stumbled backwards and onto the ground. Both of Fritzy's lackeys jumped up to retrain the enraged and panting Leon.

"Get him out of here!" Fritzy yelled, jumping up from the desk. "What the fuck is wrong with you! Not in the club!"

"Son of a bitch! Rapist!" Leon screamed. "Why don't you kill all the kids Fritzy all the kids! Mother fuckers!"

Marco pushed himself up from the ground brushing himself off. He frowned to himself, not liking using Joe like that but if definitely worked…and was all true. He glanced over at Fritzy. "I'll take care of him." He murmured in a soft voice swiping his thumb across his lips and sucking his own blood off.

* * *

"Come on Philly. I thought you were a lone shark or something." Joe said as she sat at the kitchen table with Philly and Christopher. She had said when she woke to find Marco gone that she needed to get home. When she had gotten dress after a revitalizing shower so that she didn't smell like sex and cigarettes (Honestly a very Marco-like smell), she had tried to leave. Philly had literally blocked the door with his massive body.

"Really?" She asked him in irritation. "I do have a job and a family you know."

Philly had shaken his head. "Not going to happen Joe." He told her. "Not til we find Jimmy or Marco gets back."

Joe blew a strand of hair from her face in exasperation. "I could always climb out a window. Do you guys really want to try following me?" She gave Philly a long once over, sure that he couldn't follow her even if he wasn't all banged and casted up.

Christopher sighed and put his hands on his hips. This was one stubborn bitch. He didn't want to physically touch her. With this whole thing with Jimmy the viper was sure that Marco would rip his balls off if he did. "Joanne. Do you have any idea what Marco will do to us if he gets back and you're gone?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Big babies…all of you." She muttered but resigned.

Now they sat at the table it the kitchen, a deck of cards in between them along with some left over lasagna, a few glasses of water and some beers for the boys even though it was only ten in the morning.

"Lone shark?" Philly asked her, putting three cards out.

"Word travels." Joe said with a shrug as she pulled one of her knees up to her chest and put out two cards. Philly shook his head at her with a little smile and snort. He was really starting to see what his cousin saw in this girl.

Christopher snorted a laugh and reached out, pulling the cards. He jumped as Joanne grabbed the fork that she was using to eat the cold lasagna and jammed it into the table right next to him hand. "What the hell!" He spat at her.

Joe leaned forward, still gripping the fork tight with her eyes narrowed at him. "Top of the deck!" She hissed at him as Philly starred at them in shock.

Christopher leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the table. "You implying that I'm cheating little girl?" He hissed back, low and threatening.

Her big brown eyes narrowed at him even more. He starred right back at her, a small shiver going down his spine as the little woman in front of him locked her eyes to his. "I'm down right saying your pulling from the bottom of the deck cheater." She told him in a low growl.

Philly leaned back and chewed on his breakfast. "Shit…" He muttered as he looked at her hand still tensed around the utensil. "You are definitely Marco's girl."

Christopher let go of her eyes and leaned back into the chair, watching as she retracted her hand and gave a little soft smile to Philly. "I'll deal from the top of the deck." He said slowly, picking up the stack of cards and holding them out to her. "Shuffle." He muttered, glancing at the smiling Philly. "Shut up." He told the other man as he snickered.

The three looked up at the door as Marco came into the house, shutting and locking it behind him before coming into the kitchen. He raised his eyebrow at the scene, amused to see Joanne getting her bad girl on. Walking into the kitchen he pulled his jacket off and swiped up Philly's beer. He frowned when he saw the fork sticking straight up from the table in between Joanne and Christopher. He narrowed his eyes at the Viper.

"Wasn't me boss!" Christopher said quickly, pointing at Joe.

Joe pursed her lips together. "So you're a cheater and a wimp?" She asked dryly.

Christopher rolled his eyes. "Seriously?" He asked Marco.

Marco gave a little shake of his head and put his hands on Joe's slender shoulders, kneading into them with his fingers discreetly. "Um hum." He leaned down and nipped at Joe's ear. "Should have let her win."

"How'd it go Boss?" Philly asked, leaning back in the chair.

Marco grinned and stood up straight again. Joe let him pull her from the chair so that he could sit before he pulled her back down to sit in between his legs. "The saint crucified himself. Round up the Vipers. I've been waiting three years for this."

Joe frowned as the rest of them spun into action, abandoning their game. She slowly pulled herself away from Marco and watched the others leave the room, gathering up their things and making phone calls to find everyone. She pushed her lips together, knowing that she couldn't avoid this.

"What did you say to Leon?" She asked quietly.

Marco leaned forward and pulled the plate of food over, yanking the lodged fork out of the table to have some. "That you were mine." He murmured, deep and low.

Joe leaned against the door frame and looked at him carefully. He was so casual, a small evil smile that it any other situation she would have loved playing on his lips. "Those aren't the words you used…were they?"

Marco glanced up and her and shook his head. "No." He murmured. "He thinks I'm raping you."

Joe furrowed her eyebrows. Yeah she should have known that and known that he would have used it. She took a deep breath as he got up from the table, whipping his hands off and moving to the refrigerator. "What if I asked you not to kill him?" She got out, the lump in her stomach and her throat threatening to chock her.

Marco popped open the bottle and leaned against the counter. "I'd ignore you." He told her bluntly.

Joe gave a slow nod and crossed her arms over her chest, stepping closer to him. The man that she loved was about to kill the man she considered a brother. Or the other way around. The man that she considered a brother wanted to kill the man that she loved too. "What if I _begged_ you?"

Marco swallowed the beer down and reached out, running his fingers along her cheek and neck before gripping her chin hard and turning it up to him. He wasn't going to get her caught in the line of fire. Anyone else was an acceptable lose. Anyone. But he wasn't going to let her get taken away from him. "I'd kill for you Joanne. You know I would. But I wont let him live for you. That fucking rat stole three years of my life! _Stay out of the way."_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Gary The Snail: I'm glad you like it! I didn't want to change Marco at all. I wanted to keep him mean, cunning devious….all of those things that made us shiver when we watched the movie but give him just a little bit of a less rough spot for one person. **_

_**Knyte: Lol I'm guess when you hang around Marco you get an idea of how to handle guys. I mean lets face it. Marco wasn't the biggest guy in the group, or the most threatening looking…but he looked at you or hissed one word and men three times would fall to their knees (While the fairer sex lost their panties). **_

_**Gurl: Channeling out inner Daryl. Love it!**_

_**Leyshia Gisel: She doesn't want to choose. She wants them to stop being such stupid children and put their pride away! **_

_**VeritasKym: …yes someone is going to get hurt and someone is going to die. Oh man the way he used that little voice and widened his eyes….my panties flew across the room on their own and I think I became spontaneously pregnant. **_

_**Chapter Nineteen: **_

Joe ran down the streets as fast as she could. The darkness was all around her as she raced through allies and back roads back toward her side of the neighborhood. Marco had gone to rally the troop of Vipers just after sun set. He dragged her into his room, literally and shut the door looking at her up and down hard.

"Joe…" He started, blue eyes already burning with the intensity of an on coming fight. He stopped when she looked away from him, crossing her arms over herself and squeezing her eyes closed. "Joanne." He repeated taking a step closer.

She didn't move but her arms tightened around herself and he sighed. "What if you die?" She asked him suddenly.

Marco had shaken his head at her, reaching out and pulling her to him by one of her crossed arms. "That wont happen." He told her sternly. "I lasted three years in prison. One guy?" He snorted. "Not a problem." He ran his fingers up and down the back of her neck, trying to be as comforting as a man like him could.

Joe pursed her lips together and looked up at him, taking in his angular features, the little mole on his upper lip, his facial hair and his pursed lips. "But if you do you'll be gone and I'll have just found you."

Marco had squinted down at her. He couldn't say that anyone had ever been worried about him not coming home. "It wont happen." He repeated.

"Then Leon will be dead and I still don't think he's the one that ratted you-"

Marco gritted his teeth and leaned down, pressing a hard, closed mouthed kiss to her lips. "He wants this as bad as I do Joe." He muttered against her lips. "I said stuff about you that made his blood boil…that was the whole point of this morning at Fritzy's. He cant resist. Stay away from the docks…in fact just stay in here."

"Marco…" She had gone to protest but he pressed his lips to hers again hard before leaving.

Of course she had no intention of doing what she was told. He should know that by now. She really didn't actually do what she was told that much. She darted thought the cooling streets, passing people who looked at her strangely as she ran. Maybe she couldn't talk Marco out of this but she could give it a shot with Leon. If he just knew that she was fine and that Marco was just saying things to upset him maybe he'd back off. Maybe people wouldn't have to get hurt and die tonight.

She pushed through the darkened entrance to the old warehouse where the boys gathered before a big rumble. She had treated them in here a million times but it had never felt so foreign. She watched as every eye in the room came to her: Bobby, Betsy, Annie, Tino and finally Leon. Leon pushed himself up from his chair hard to look at her.

He walked over to her in long strides. Joe was breathing hard from running, eyes darting around to all the people in the room who looked up at her. Evidently the news of her 'rape' had spread.

Leon stopped in front of her and put his hands under her jaw, tilting it from side to side to look at the dull hand mark shaped bruising. "Son of a bitch! I'll kill him!" He bellowed.

"It wasn't him." Joe said quickly. "It was Jimmy!"

"Joe…" Tino sighed. "Jimmy is Marco's man…you know that."

Joe shook her head. "Not anymore. I went to him after it happened," Everyone in the room tensed while Leon starred at her in shock. "He put out a hit on Jimmy. He's been protecting me."

"Joe I know it feels that way-" Betsy started. She could see her boyfriend twitching with rage that one of his own would go to his enemy before him. It was an odd kind of proud jealousy.

Joe rolled her eyes. This was not what she had come here for. "Shut up Betsy! Leon, I am with him of my own free will. He's not making me do anything! Would I be here if he was?" She looked at them all. The only people who seemed to believe her was Annie and…Bobby even a little. She shook her head. "Did you rat him out Leon?"

"What?" Leon asked her in surprise.

Joe licked her lips and looked at him hard. "He wants to kill you 'cause he thinks you are the one that rated him out to the cops three years ago. Did you?"

"Of course not!" Leon snapped. "There's nothing worse than a rat Joe!"

Joe rolled her eyes at the same exact words that Marco had used. "Than just tell him you're not the rat and end this." Leon shook his head sharply, unwilling to even consider it. "Hell, I'll tell him!" Joe said turning back towards the door.

"Don't you dare even think about leaving this warehouse!" Leon snapped at her, grabbing her arm to stop her and pointing his finger at her. "He wants this to happen and so do I. What he did-"

"What did he do!?" Joe snapped back quickly. "Sold your brother drugs? Leon, Ali _bought drugs._"

"Joe don't." Betsy warned.

"He over dosed!"

"Shut up Joe." Leon commanded in the low voice.

Joe resisted the childish inclination to stomp her foot. "You are both so god damn stubborn its going to get you and everyone around you killed!"

Leon gritted his teeth. "Joanne stop it!"

Joe narrowed her eyes at him. "How many people are you going to let die because you can't except that your brother was a worthless drug addict Leon!"

His hand jetted out without him even realizing it, anger swirling inside of him. He didn't mean it…hell it wasn't even a hard slap across her cheek. Still his eyes widened, shocked at himself. Betsy ran to Joe right away but Joe just turned her head back to Leon, raising an eyebrow as she pressed her fingers to her cheek for a moment. It had been a soft blow, hardly even stung. It had done its job at stopping her string of words that were too true for the man to except.

"Joe I'm-" Leon started.

Joe shook her head as Annie came to her side too. "If you're meant to be the saint and he's meant to be the devil, why is it that he's never taken a swing at me and you have?" She asked him in a low voice. "You two are so alike it's scary."

Leon swallowed down and glanced over at the rest of his boys. "Come on. It's time to go. You three…stay here."

"Don't do this Leon." Joe said again, her hands shaking at the feeling of helplessness washing over her.

Betsy put her hands on her shoulders. "Leon maybe she's right…maybe it's time to put this behind us."

Leon looked at the two women. "Just stay here. Don't go out. Don't let anyone in. It will be done before morning."

Joe sat in one of the chairs with her head in her hands. She wasn't crying. No…she was angry and frustrated. So frustrated it was making her head burn. She buried her fingers into her messed up dark hair, mind unwilling to except that one of those men would not be coming back tonight. She didn't know which she wanted it to be.

She was made at Leon for being so stubborn and stupid. For thinking that she had no will power of her own and she would let something like that happen to her without fighting it. She was mad at him for a rage that he had let build into such a well that he couldn't even see that men and boys were throwing themselves into the line of fire for his pride and vengeance. But he was like her brother.

She was mad at Marco for whatever he had said about her to Leon. She had a feeling she knew Marco pretty well by now. She was sure it was bad…really bad. She was angry that vengeance for a few years in prison was more important than a future with her. But she loved him. She really did at this point. All of his fucked up-ness even.

They were men. And men were stupid. Proud. Vengeful. Idiotic.

"I wonder who it was." Betsy finally said into the silence of the circle of three woman around the table.

Joe rolled her head up slowly. "What?" She asked.

Betsy frowned and looked at her, tapping her cigarette while leaning back in the chair. While she was trying to be collected Joe could tell that in her mind she was freaking out. "If Leon didn't rat Marco out I wonder who did." She repeated.

Joe furrowed her eyebrows. Someone close…someone who knew everything or close to everything. Someone who would do anything to save his own skin. She looked up as Annie looked away and her lips parted. "Annie…Jimmy said that you told me something. Something that he was afraid I would go to Marco with. What was it?"

Annie closed her eyes and looked away. "Jimmy rambles when he's drunk and high." She said softly.

"Oh my god." Joe pushed herself up from the chair as total clarity about the past few days rained down on her. "Oh my god!" It scrapped against the ground and fell as she pushed away from it.

"Joe no!" Betsy screamed after her. "You can't go there!"

* * *

Jimmy moved as fast as he could down towards the boat yard. He was sure that if he could get there and back Marco up he would be able to forgive him or at least let it go. Jimmy had been with him since they were kids. Marco wouldn't let him go over some piece of ass right?

His drug addled mind didn't form the plan fully in his head, the small details sifting through the holes left by years of heroin use. Still he had enough mental stability to figure out that he still wasn't at full strength. Hence the gun tucked into his back pocket. His arm had been wrapped up by a very chatty nun at one of the local half way houses, a mess of poorly wrapped white layers of cotton and a make shift sling that he was sure Jesus himself would have worn should he have needed it.

He was feeling up to it. If worst came to worse he could always shoot Marco in the back while he was busy trying to kill Leon.


	20. Chapter 20

**Gurl: Yeah, he's so in deniable about his brother. Everything about Ali just sets him off and Joe hit the nail right on the head trying to get throw to him. Shakes head. Sigh….Jimmy. You're kind of digging your own grave. **

**WaterWarrior: Lol sadly the rape is the thing that bothered me obviously. The murder I can live with. If I didn't like a little bit of violence I wouldn't be attracted to Norman. None of us would. I think we need a support group. "Hi, My name is Nymph and I like watching Reedus kill people." **

**Melissa: Lady you are going to have to get in line! Marco can't marry you while I have him tied up in my closet! **

**Leyshla Gisel: You know me hon. Do you really think I could go through a story without some blood being spilled? **

**Javanut: Men are sooooo dumb. **

**Xstallionduckx: I am a firm believer that Marco should have been the winner of that fight. I mean he lasted in prison for three years! **

**VeritasKym: Lol read and you may get some of your wish. **

**Knyte: Lol as much as she knows that Marco is dangerous and will 'punish' her when does she ever really do as he says? Men….sigh. Enough said. **

_**Please read and Review our friends Knyte's new fics that she has just posted! There is a Blade fic, Gossip and A Crime fic up that you all really need to check out! Support Reedus taking over FFN! **__** I know you all will love her as much as you love me and Gurl!**_

_**Sad chapter you all….but enjoy and let me know what you think of Marco's reaction! **_

**Chapter Twenty: **

Joe ran as fast as she could towards the shipping yard, her feet pounding the ground and mind begging her body to move faster. If she could get through to them maybe both of them could live. Maybe they could move on. Maybe she wouldn't have to morn one of them. She could convince Leon that it was an over dose. A misjudgment by a diseased mind. She could tell Marco that Jimmy was the one who had sold him out all those years ago. Hell, she was already willing to bet that he wanted to kill Jimmy for hurting her anyway.

She didn't want him to die. She was in love with him, she finally admitted to herself. Yeah he was an ass hole but he was the only ass hole who had ever bothered to really protect her. He was the arrogant evil bastard what whispered sweet things into her ear when he thought no one could hear. She didn't want to lose that; didn't want to dark haired demon of a man to disappear.

She finally reached the shipping yard and stopped for a split second, putting her hands on her knees and breathing hard. Her body hurt but she could keep going.

Her head shot up as she heard the unmistakable sound of bones breathing and skin slashing. Pipes, baseball bats, knifes. She reached into her pocket and grabbed out the knife, clenching it hard just in case men from either side were stupid enough to go after the girl that both of their leaders cared about in some way. At least they were making it easy to find them in the mess of old boats, shipping crates and abandon machines.

She could do this.

Jimmy watched from the side lines taking out a guy or two with his one useable fist. The shipping yard was a mess of sticky summer sweat, spilling blood and moving bodies. Leon and Marco had zeroed in on each other right away. Focus on each of their faces as they moved in long strides towards each other. The even paced walk from both men couldn't maintain its composure by the end. The steps speed up into a threatening version of a skip towards the other equally focused man before fists came back and connected with faces, arms, chests, shoulders… Anything they could get at.

Lips curled, grunts passed.

Jimmy looked up as a very strange, out of place figure emerged in a run from behind one of the large rusting shipping crates, her run stopping for a brief moment to take in the carnage. It didn't seem to phase her. She was too focused on finding the two men to worry about anything else.

Joe's eyes found them right as Leon's fist connected with Marco's nose, sending the man to the ground with a deafening crunch.

"Should have just…left them….alone." Leon yelled in between hits.

Marco kneed him in the ribs, trying to get him off. "They wanted it! Both of them!" He snarled back.

Joe took a deep breath and started to run to them. "Leon! Stop! I know who the rat-" Her words were cut off the a loud bang followed by an unknown but undeniable pop and pain.

Both men froze instantly, holding each other off tensed with every muscle hard and twitching, waiting to see if the ringing of the gun shot had punctured the other. Neither moved, neither spoke. Everything seemed to freeze for a millisecond in time.

"Marco?" Came a small gasping voice.

Both of their heads turned sharply and instantly at the sound of the familiar little voice. Joe stood about twenty feet away from them, her large eyes wide and starring at them as if she was willing herself farther into the now standing still battle around her.

"No…" Marco breathed as his eyes traveled down to where her hands had instinctively come to her side, right next to her stomach over the once white, ruffled button, up tank top. Red liquid leaked from the cracks in between her fingers as she looked down at it in shock. Slowly and shakily she lifted one of her hands and looked at the red now soaking it, dripping down her wrist in thick, hot lines.

Leon's eyes widened and he pulled off Marco quickly as Joe's eyebrows furrowed together, time stuttering into a full blown speed as her knees gave out and she clasped to the ground in a spiral of hair and weak limbs.

"NO!" Marco screamed as he pushed himself up and looked around wildly, rage filling him to the brim. It was uncontrollable, undeniable and even more driving than he had felt a few moments about kicking, punching, cutting and clawing at Leon. His eyes caught Jimmy on the other side of them, lowering the small caliber gun. "Mother fucker!"

Jimmy dropped the gun in shock, his own eyes going large in distress. "Marco I didn't mean…" He took a step back but Marco was at a full on run now, getting to him before he could finish. "I wasn't…I didn't mean…"

He shoved the shiv up and threw Jimmy's jaw and neck hard, making him chock out blood and bile. Marco sneered as he let the body drop to the gravelly ground, yanking the shiv out with it. "I…don't…care…" He panted through his rage and disbelief. He turned back around quickly.

Leon ran instantly to the clasped form of his friend, regret flooding through him when he skidded to the ground beside her. "Joe! Joe! Come on!" He told her as she struggled to open her eyes and move. He angled her body up so that her upper body rested on his knee and pressed against the wound. "Get help!" He yelled. "Call a fucking ambulance!" He pressed onto the wound hard causing Joe to scream as pain rocketed through her. "It's okay…it's not bad." He said in a panicked voice.

"It really hurts." She gasped out, trying to shake the pain away. She had come here for a reason…what was that? It was hard to focus. "Jimmy…it was Jimmy."

Leon looked up as Marco, face covered in blood started to walk back over. "I got him Joe." Marco said, spitting a bit of Jimmy's blood out and away from his mouth. He made his way quickly towards them but was stopped by Bobby holding up the gun the Jimmy had dropped.

"Don't fucking think about getting close to her you mother fucker." The sweating boy said when he circled around to the front of him, blood dripping from his eyebrow and lip.

Joe squeezed her eyes closed as a wave of nausea threatened to over take her.

"Come on Joe." Leon told her patting her paling face. "I need you to stay awake."

Marco snarled at Bobby harshly, his angular features even more threatening with blood and eyes on fire from being separated from injured woman who should have never been there at all. His gut was churning hard, fighting to gag him with something other than rage. Ever nerve in his body was firing and burning him at not being able to get the last ten feet. "Kid, I will cut you into a million pieces if you don't get out of my way!" He hissed, deadly serious.

"Jimmy was the rat." Joe said, her pained and breaking voice drawling all of their attention. "It was always Jimmy." Leon looked at her in shock. That's why she had come here? She thought she could stop this. She thought that if Marco knew the truth he would stop going after Leon and Leon might just stop going after Marco too.

Marco gritted his teeth. Jimmy. It had always been Jimmy. He didn't know how she knew but he hoped she wouldn't be stupid enough to come here if she hadn't been sure. Right now he found that he didn't care though. He just needed… needed desperately to get over there.

Bobby looked back at Marco hard. "You can try." He said, clicking the starter into place on the heel of the gun.

Joes eyes snapped open at the sound and her head lulled to the side from Leon's hold to see Bobby with the weapon raised. "No!" She said struggling her body so that she twisted and turned in Leon's arms.

"Joe no!" Leon yelled as his hand came loose from the wound.

She was wriggling hard, ignoring the gagging, earth splintering pain in her side as fresh blood dampened her skin and cloths. "No! Please!" She almost fell out of Leon's hands. "Bobby don't!" She pleaded, eyes filling with bright little lights while she tried to get to them.

Christopher came up behind Marco. "Damn…" He muttered as he watched the little woman was moving hard, gagging on her own pain as she ripped the wound open more and tried to get to Marco. The anger played over their leaders features…the utter and sheer disparity. Every muscled in his face worked and tensed to hold back sadness, devastation, letting only anger leak through. "Just let him go to her ass hole!"

"Not a chance in hell." Bobby spat.

Marco felt his breathing coming out in short gasps as he gritted his teeth together, watching the writhing, little, bloody girl try and get to him. He pulled at his hair as he saw more blood come out of her side and spill under her along the darkened gravel, turning it from grey to black in the night. Desperation dulled everything in him. "Joanne STOP!" He yelled angrily as she gasped for breath, still thrashing wildly. "Fuck!" He bellowed out in a chocked, furious voice as he squeezed his eyes shut and hunching forward with his hands on his knees, trying to banish the whole scene.

"Bobby!" Leon yelled as he tried to hold her still without hurting her anymore. "Stop!" He finally commanded his brother. "Just stop!" It was the only way to get her to stop moving. He was sure if she had been free she would be pulling herself to him. Bobby lowered the gun but kept it ready for Marco if he tried to move forward. "Joe he's fine! Stop moving please!" Leon begged out as he pulled her harder and tried to steam off the new blood flow.

Everything was getting darker…things were starting to dull and not hurt as much anymore. The searing pain was turning into an aching throb that moved through every ounce of her being. "Does it feel cold?" Joe asked vaguely aware that it was summer and it shouldn't feel like this. She shouldn't be chilly and getting goose bumps.

Christopher looked up as he heard sirens coming. "Marco we've got to go." He told the pacing man who kept his eyes glued to the form of the woman.

Marco ran a hand through his hair as he paced wildly, pursing his lips and grinding his teeth together. God what had he done to her? What had she done to him? Every hurtful, cunning word he had said and done played back though his mind. Everything he could have done. Everything that he hadn't wanted to believe he had wanted to do. He'd said he'd never let her get taken from him. But he couldn't even get to her.

"MARCO!" Christopher yelled this time. "We can't be here man! You just got out of Jail!"

Marco frowned and rubbed his lips as he continued to pace. "I-I can't leave her here."

Joe pulled her eyes open one last time, not sure who was in front of her anymore. Was she floating or being held? Her body was barely registering the shadow of a man above her. "Tell Marco…tell Marco I know it's stupid but I love him."

Leon closed his eyes hard before looking up at where the dark man had stopped at hearing the words.

He was staring at her hard…no soft expression at her declaration. "Stay alive Joe." He yelled over to her as Christopher yanked at his shoulder to pull him away from the increasingly loud sirens. "I need you alive!"

Joe could only barely hear the screamed works. "I'm alive…I just…need sleep."

"NO!" Marco heard Leon yell. "No Joe! Wake up!"

He squeezed his eyes shut at the yells and bellows of Bobby, Leon and some of the Deuces trying to wake her, half heartily fighting his own men as Christopher, now Philly and another Viper pulled him away.


	21. Chapter 21

**Coconutcarter and WaterWarrior: Too stubborn for her own good. Murder is so sexy! I'm excited because I just ordered Red Canyon and as much as I am attracted to Norman, watching him play crazy people just completely hypnotizes me in a different way. **

**Gypsywitchbaby: I'm sorry! **

**Gary the Snail: I know I suck but in the best way possible right? It wouldn't be a cliff hanger if I didn't do it well! **

**Melissa: Marco says that he likes being tied up in my basement. He gets pizza and to be bad. For an hour a night I let him go out and terrorize people than he has to come back. **

**JavaNut: Lol I did my best! **

**Leyshia Gisel: Live Joe! Marco needs you! **

**Gurl: I know but he comes to the hospital right away for her. He just can't be there when the police arrive because he will be associated with criminal activity and than he'd probably get put away for even longer which would be no help to Joe. **

**VeritasKym: He really didn't. I like the image of him just being pulled away with his eyes glued to her. **

**Knyte: I am sorry I made you cry. If Marco could cry he probably would have been too trying to see her get to him. **

**Chapter Twenty One: **

Marco slammed through the hospital doors with Christopher hot on his heels and Philly lumbering to keep up. He never came to these places. He took care of his own shit at home after a fight. Still he found his way to the emergency room quickly, pushing and shoving people and nurses hard out of his way. Some of them with so much force that they stumbled to the ground.

His mind was whirling. He had ordered Philly to take him to the hospital the moment they reached the cars. His cousin had protested and he had clocked him hard in the face sneering. "Do NOT try to keep me away from her." It wasn't going to happen; not again. It should have been him holding onto her in that lot. Not Leon. She shouldn't be in this white washed hell.

"Where is she!?" He yelled once he got to the seating area. It was late at night and almost empty but the few people that were there jumped, started at the angry wounded bellow that came from him.

Scooch was in one of the chairs crying while one of the Deuce boys, Tino he vaguely remembered, stood up from the other chair looking drained.

"She's in surgery." Tino told him angrily but the exhaustion was kicking in. All of the boys had been taken in for questioning and Leon had told him to stay here with Scooch and Joe. He would rather be questioned than sitting here on pins and needles waiting for news. He definitely would prefer dealing with the cops to an angry Marco who was on the verge of losing his girl.

"She's dying." Scooch hiccupped.

Marco looked at the boy hard, willing him to be wrong. "Like hell she is." He yelled, looking around. "You." He pointed at one of the doctors walking by. "Let me see her."

"Who?" The doctor asked, looking a bit fearful at the blood coated man who's eyes were burning holes into everyone around him.

"Joanne." He spat. Something in him was rattled beyond control. He needed to see her. Needed her alive. He wanted her with him.

The doctor shook his blond head at him. "She's still in surgery sir. You'll have to wait…lets look at that nose and lip of yours."

"Don't fucking touch me!" He snarled, slapping his hand away. "Just take me to her now!"

"Sir she is still in surgery. Any interruption and she could lose more blood or the bullet could hit something vital! You need to calm down and let us do our job!" Said another doctor coming up to him.

"Not until I fucking see her!" He pushed past the doctors and towards the ICU doors. "I don't care if you're wrist deep in her stomach! Let me see her!"

One of the doctors grabbed his arm and he threw him off with a snarl.

In the end it took three orderlies and two doctors to throw him out of the hospital. He fought it and pushed them away but in the end when security was called there was nothing that could be done. He gave Christopher orders to stay there and bring him news; any news.

He couldn't even stay in the hospital and wait for his girl because of his anger and hate. He ran his hands through his hair as he stalked down the streets: angry, devastated, pissed off.

She was good. He was bad. She loved him. He cared for her…but not right. Yesterday he would have refused to admit it. But he did…_feel _the same. Even his mind couldn't make out the word. Men didn't say that shit. He wondered if any of them thought it though, because he was.

He pursed his lips together pushing the thought to the back of his mind. She was not going to die…ever. He made the promise to himself quickly. Climbing the stairs of her apartment building, he pushed into the unlocked door. Her uncle was passed out on the table with an empty bottle of vodka in front of him, drooling on the dirty table since Joe hadn't been home to clean up after him.

He squinted his eyes in distaste and went to her and Scooch's small bedroom beginning to go through the drawers violently throwing her things onto the bed. His Joe deserved better than a drunken man at a table at four in the morning. She deserved more than this shit hole. Now that he was admitting that he wanted her for more than just a fuck and more than a piece of bait he was going to give that to her.

* * *

The lights were dim behind her closed eyelids and sounds muffled. She could vaguely hear the sound of a monitor beeping and turned her head towards it, eyes still closed. She took a shuddering death as she felt her body coming back to life. Well, something close to life anyway. It ached and her side her extremely badly. She licked her dry lips slowly, disturbed when her tongue stuck to them like sand paper.

She took another shuddering breath smelling something familiar…smoke; lots of cigarettes ingrained into cloths over years. "Marco?" She found herself whispering. She had meant it to come out louder but her voice didn't seem to want to obey.

A chair next to her shifted immediately and she blinked her eyes open, surprised by how dull and muted everything around her looked. "No… sorry Joe. It's Christopher and Tino." Christopher said as she scrunched up the muscles in her face to make sure that they were all functioning properly.

"Marco and Leon?" She chocked out as Christopher leaned over to get a glass of water off the table. He handed it to her and crossed his arms over the side of the hospital bed. Tino frowned as she swallowed and looked from one to the other. "Oh god…please tell me they didn't kill eachother….one of them has to be alive at least." She felt tears prickling her eyes at the pain, the sick feeling and the idea that she didn't know which one she would want to live and which she would want to die. A brother? Or the man she loved?

Tino shook his head and put a hand on her arm. "Calm down Joe. They're both alive. Leon is still in lock up answering questions." He told her.

"And Marco?" She asked right away. Christopher and Tino glanced at each other. "Guys come on! You're scaring the living shit out of me!"

"He's fine." Christopher told her quickly. "He told me to get you anything you wanted."

Joe frowned and tried to sit up, immediately feeling a painful pulling in her side. She gasped out in pain. "I want him!" She told them in a whine that she didn't intend. Tino stood up and tried to help her sit up but she gasped again and slumped back. "What's wrong with me?" She asked pulling up the sheet.

"No Joe! Don't look at-"

It was too late. Under the sheet was an angry welt stitched together with black thread. The skin was red and inflamed, looking sickeningly moist. "Oh god." She whispered as a wave of nausa gagged her. She felt hot tears welling in her eyes as the sight of the wound brought back the pain. She threw her head back on the pillows. "Get out." She begged them as she felt one of the tears slip down from her eyes.

"Joe Joe…" Tino said, gripping her hand.

"Please just leave me alone." She whispered, closing her eyes again. She was in pain, felt completely abandon by the two men that supposedly cared about her. If she was going to be alone she wanted to be completely alone. She definetly didn't want one of Marco's guys or even Tino to see her cry.

Tino nodded slowly and pushed himself up to go get himself a cup of coffee while Christopher stayed rooted in his chair.

"You too." She told him without opening her eyes. Tears were still escaping from under her eyelids.

Christopher shook his head. "I can't Joe. Marco told me-"

"Then he should fucking be here himself." She snapped, looking at him sharply.

Christopher shook his head. She and Marco were more alike than either of them knew. They knew they could be a bit scary, know how to make people freak out and do what they said. But he was used to dealing with Marco. "He tried Joe…he was thrown out because he lost it when they wouldn't let him get to you." She frowned. "You were in surgery…he couldn't wait. Do you remember when you were shot? Seeing him?"

Joe frowned and closed her eyes, remembering dulled flashes of the pacing man, the look of anguish on his face. She remembered his eyes burning and trying to get past Bobby to her. "When can I see him?...and Leon?"

"When you get out…tonight maybe if you feel alright and you stay 'stable' or whatever." Christopher said, leaning back in the chair.

Joe slowly nodded and looked back at where the sheet was laying over the injury on her side again. "I'll be okay tonight…I'm okay now." She looked over at him. "Why are you being nice to me?"

Christopher gave a little laugh. "You're Marco's girl. That kind of makes you our…" He searched for something to say.

"Queen Bee?" She asked with a laugh. She clenched her side as the laugh rocked her body and Christopher grinned.

"Something like that." The Viper laughed.

* * *

_So what did you all think about Marco's reaction to not being able to see or get to Joe and his realization of what he actually feels for her? I'm trying to open him up a bit more because, let's face it, he has repeatedly screwed her over. How about Joe's reaction to him not being there?_


	22. Chapter 22

**gurl3677****: Lol I dont think she's forgiving him right away but she does love him. **

**JavaNut****: Thank you!**

**Knyte: You know Marco doesn't know that word. **

**VeritasKym****: Lol I liked that too because that is kind of what she was turning into playing cards with Chris and Philly. Isn't there a whole show based off wanting to be the wife of a mobster? I think it was called "Real housewives of New Jersey". I have to say, as an Italian Philadelphia native I was highly insulted by that show. **** Lol. **

**Gary the Snail x3****: Lol I think he's figuring out that if he loves her and wants to keep her he better be nicer. At least to her. **

**coconutcarter****: I'm glad. I want him to love her and be not as much of an ass hole to her but I still want him to be Marco. I am so excited. I got the email today from Amazon that my order of Red Canyon shipped today along with A Crime and I am foaming at the mouth. All that's left to be shipped in Bad Seed and than I have three Norman movies in a row to watch. My DVD player is threatening to spit out my other ones because I watch them so much. **

**GypsyWitchBaby****: He better get it screwed on right by now right!?**

**WaterWarrior6****: Lol! Three orderlies and two doctors…so five people. Plus security was called….can't hold back a desperate angry Marco. But I'm glad you can see he had that much devotion to her that it would take a horde of people to hold him away from her. Man I am waiting for "Hello Herman" to come out on DVD so I can snatch that up. It looks sooooo good.**

**Leyshla Gisel****: I think seeing her dying really threw him off. Like it never even crossed his mind because she is his and in his mind no one would dare take what is his.**

**DeviantDames**** : Lol that was my problem all through my younger years! I found the bad boy and they were like "awwww…she's adorable! I want her" so they were only nice to me and in my youthful ignorance I was thinking "Its kind of nice that they are total ass holes but only nice to me". I'm glad you've found it! You should know to follow me by now woman! :P**

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

Joe climbed the stairs to her apartment, hand clenching her side as she tried to stay straight. It was painful, horribly painful but she knew if she told the doctors that they would insist that she stayed in the hospital.

They had told her that she couldn't leave that night when she had struggled to get up and get dressed, ripping one of the stitches. She'd tried to hide the rip so she could leave but tiny droplets of blood had seeped through her clothing, contrasting the white shirt. Christopher had noticed and called for help before she could stop him.

She couldn't stay there another night. For the first time she was glad she hadn't become a nurse. She had never been in a hospital overnight before and in the darkness it felt different: colder, plainer, empty even with Christopher snoring in the chair next to her. It smelled strange, like a mixture of antiseptic and blood. The Viper hadn't been kidding. Marco had given him express orders not to let her out of his sight and he hadn't. It was actually a bit irritating.

Betsy had finally come to pick her up and take her home. She had told the two men to go find their own ride and not let them in the car. Joe had breathed a sigh of relief the entire way home.

"So." Betsy said as she drove Leon's car back towards the apartment. "You and Marco…for real?" She asked, glancing at the injured woman next to her.

"I don't know." Joe murmured. "I care about him if that's what you mean. It was conceptual. But he…" She stopped and shook her head. "I wish he'd been there. I wish he hadn't used me against Leon."

Betsy sighed and nodded. It wasn't like Leon was a saint either. These men. All they thought about was their own revenge. "But you still care about him?"

Joe nodded against the window. "Yeah. I'm in love with the bastard. But he's in a lot of trouble with me. Some major babying is in order after all of this." She murmured.

Betsy laughed at the thought of Marco babying anyone.

Opening the door she wrinkled her nose at the smell of sweat and alcohol before making her way over to her room. She left the door half open as she moved inside, staggering steps moving her to sit on the bed and breath for a long minute. She took deep breaths, trying to push back the pain and the dull throb that racked her side. She closed her eyes before getting up and going to her dresser to get new clothing.

She frowned when she opened it, finding it empty and moved to the next quickly. It was empty as well. She looked around in confusion, going to the small closet and finding everything gone too.

"It's at my house." Came a rough voice from the doorway. She looked over to see Marco leaning against the door frame, rubbing his lips. "All of it."

He couldn't help but frown at the sight of her. She looked pale, worn down, nothing like the mouthy woman he knew. All he could think about what her body laying, covered in blood, squirming in pain. About the sound of her voice when she whispered out his name in shock before falling to the gravel. He took a step closer to her, his eyes falling narrowed to the spot on her side where he knew the bullet had punctured.

"Why is it at your house?"

Marco ignored the question for the moment, reaching out and pulling up the side of her shirt. He let out a long breath through his nose and put his thumb slowly under the tape holding on the square of gauze. He peeled it open slowly and carefully, more gently than he had ever been in the past with her. Pushing it to the side his eyes darted back and forth over the ugly abrasion. His lips parted as he ran his fingers over the flesh around the wound.

"Its not that bad." Joe lied as the rough digits skimmed over the sensitive flesh.

Marco's eyes snapped up to her brown ones before he soothed the bandage back on. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers hard, gripping both of her arms in his hands. His tongue ran along her lips, needing to taste her again before withdrawing quickly. "You're coming home with me." He muttered as he broke off.

Joe let out a breath and gripped his forearms as she pressed her forehead against his collarbones. "Marco I can't just… I'm so mad at you."

His grip tightened and he growled. "I'm not leaving my injured…" He stopped and licked his lips. "_Girlfriend _alone with an alcoholic who likes to beat her." He squeezed her arms before making her look up at him. "I'm _wont_."

Joe sighed at the conviction in his voice. She wanted to fight him but she knew that voice. "I can't leave Scooch."

Marco nodded down at her. "Its taken care of." He said simply.

"How?"

Marco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't used to having to explain himself but this was Joe and if he wanted her come, wanted her safe, wanted her with him he was going to have to. That or throw her over his shoulder and drag her there, which was a possibility but with the wound in her side that might be difficult.

"Tino talked to Betsy and she is going to take him." He told her, dragging his fingers through her hair. "Come with me so I'm sure you're…safe." _Taken care of._ He pulled her face to him again, kissing her hard while lifting her arms to come around his neck.

"I thought you were going to die." Joe took a shuddering breath and leaned her face back against his chest, relaxing there. "I wanted you there so bad. And you weren't." She whispered, closing her eyes and breathing in his smoky scent. Her arms tightened around his neck holding herself close to him.

Marco gripped his fingers tight onto the hair on the back of her neck. He leaned his cheek on top of her head and nodded. "You're with me now." He muttered.

* * *

"Where should I-" Joe started, looking around the house for a moment, not sure if she should be sleeping somewhere else. She knew that he liked sex…loved it and that right now it was out of the question. Most of all with how they were: rough, hard, clawing. She doubted he would want her in his bed if he wasn't getting any.

Marco watched her look at the sofa. "Don't even think about it." He muttered nodding over to his room. "All your stuffs in there. You need to go lay down."

"You know I can't do any-" She had started but he had cut her off with a pull on her arm towards the room.

Marco settled her into the bed quickly, shoving a pillow under her head as she lay on her good side. He checked over his work quickly eyes running over her form from top to bottom in the bed with his lips pursed together before giving a little nod. "Sleep." He commanded, standing up straight.

Joanne frowned and reached out, grabbing his wrist. "Don't leave?" She told him.

Marco gave a sigh and leaned over, pushing her hair out of her face and away from her eyes. Even pale and worn out she was still gorgeous. "I've got some shit that needs to get done. Then I'll be back." He told her sternly. "Now do what I say and sleep."

"What kind of shit?" Joe asked. "Killing people?" She knew that he knew Leon wasn't the rat but was still in his way.

Marco rubbed his lips together. "No…just some shit. I'll be back in a few." He pushed himself up from the bed. "Don't move." He told her as he walked over to the door. He watched for a moment as she put her face into one of the pillows, breathing him in deeply before shaking his head and leaving the room.

Joe closed her eyes and nodded to herself, feeling exhaustion and drug induced slumber pulling at every fiber of her being. The pain medicine they gave her was draining and the past few days brought back the pain. She was mad but she couldn't put up the fight right now.

He closed the door quietly and went to the refrigerator, opening it and taking in the contents while he leaned against the frame: Two old pizza boxes, one empty, one with three slices, beer and an old molding lemon. He scowled to himself.

"Philly." He called into the living room. He glanced back down the hall to make sure that Joe wasn't coming out and waited for the other man to come into the room. "Go to the store. Get some groceries or something."

"Groceries?" Philly repeated in surprise.

Marco nodded and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a wad of cash. "Yeah."

Philly shifted unsure. It wasn't like mobsters and gang members normally went grocery shopping. Their normal diet consisted of beer and take out. "What kind of groceries?" He tried.

"Fucking groceries. I don't know: pasta, burger stuff, coffee, milk…shit like that." Marco muttered in annoyance at his own ignorance on the subject. "Make sure the guys know not to bring any of the business here. Do it at the club from now on."

Philly nodded quickly, looking down the hall towards the bed room. His cousin was going to spoil this girl rotten, he could tell. He should have known the first time Marco brought her home to fuck her. He never brought women here. He wanted to keep her and when Marco wanted something he'd do just about anything to have it. "Could take Joanne…bet she knows what to get."

Marco shook his head and looked back at the room too. "She's not getting out of that bed for a day or two." He told the other man sharply.

Philly nodded. "Should I get her some of that girl shit too?" Marco raised an eyebrow. "Like a toothbrush and shampoo and that shit?"

Marco frowned and scratched his fingers over his lips. "Anything she wants, make sure she's got it." He muttered.

* * *

Philly frowned as he looked at the rows of girl shit littering the wall rubbing his head with his good hand and trying to figure out the difference in between the many bottles that looked exactly the same.

An old woman, one third crypt keeper, one third hunched, one third deaf had been helpful enough with helping him figure out what basic groceries were: Eggs, milk, cheese ground beef, bread…stuff like that. Not that he or any of the other men would know how to cook anything but he would figure it out if need be. He'd shoved a case of beer in for good measure, trying to hold on to some of his masculinity.

Not that any prevention could help him now that he was standing in the aisle of flower soaps, shampoo's, hair ties and feminine hygiene products. He picked up a bottle and opened the cap, smelling it. He wrinkled his nose at the over powering smell and put it back.

"Hey you!" He called out to one of the sales woman that walked by the end of the aisle. "Some help here?" He asked in his blundering brutish manner.

The sales woman seemed to physically sigh and walked over to him sheepishly. "Yes sir? What can I help you with?"

Philly looked over all of the items around them. "Got me a girl at home and she aint going to be able to leave for a while. What kind of shit does she need to stay happy?"

The sales clerk physically paled, her eyes widening and obviously thinking that the brute in front of her had a woman tied up in his basement. "Ah….well…um…do you know what kind of shampoo this girl uses?" She asked him carefully.

"I knew that we wouldn't be having this conversation would we?" He snapped back.

"Umm, okay what does she smell like?"

Philly frowned. "Do I look like the kind of perv that goes around smelling girls?" She made a face of consideration. "She's my cousins girl. Forget it! You're no help!"

"Oh." The woman said quickly. "Okay…so she's there of her own free will then?"

This time it was Philly's turn to consider. "More or less."


	23. Chapter 23

**Little Bird: I am so happy that you are enjoying it! I am doing my best to keep Marco as in character as possible while still making him fall for Joe. I mean, I love the character. That's why I write about him so why would I want to change his personality!? I am so glad that you are inspired to write your own story. Let me know what he name is so that I can read it when you post it up! It's actually funny that you labeled yourself little bird on here because that's what I have someone called in my Boondock Saints story "In too Deep" Which is the next I would recommend or "Keeping the Silence". Also Check out Gurl's stories on here. Thank you so much and please keep reading and reviewing.**

**Gary the Snail: I know! **

**VeritasKym: Lol No because he Mob Wives show their husbands are actually mobsters. In the Real House wives of NJ they just get their reference the God father and Scarface. Wanna be's instead of the real thing. Whatever both shows suck and make Italians look horrible. **

**WaterWarrior: Marco is a sweet talker. He'll say what he needs to say to get that he wants. He probably looks at her as more of 'mine' than his girlfriend but he knows that will make her come with him and struggles with the word because at least part of him knows it's the truth.**

**Leyshia Gisel: He's trying to at least keep it away from his little Joe.**

**Melissa: What sane woman wouldn't volunteer for that!**

**JavaNut: Don't you kind of half feel bad for Philly? Marco put him in charge of Joe basically put him in charge of watching Joe for this whole thing and she does not make it easy.**

**DeviantDames: Men are clueless in just about everything! If anyone is going to kidnap me it should be Marco. If I ever get kidnaped I am going to tell my kidnappers I will be calling them Marco.**

**Knyte: You totally know what Marco is going to do! Poor Philly but you're right! At least he had the beer!**

**Gurl: You know that's how guys think about it!**

**Thank you to Gurl for giving me this shower scene! This specific idea for Joes rebellion was her idea, I just wrote it down and added on!**

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Joe opened Marco's bedroom door quietly and slipped through it down the artificially lit hall. She took a deep breath as she heard the sounds of people in the living room. She could feel the dull ache in her side and the water moving around in her stomach from lack of food but she didn't want to eat. She wanted a shower and she wanted to see…people.

Marco's head turned sharply from where he was sitting with Christopher and Philly when he heard the soft patter of feet on the floor. "Joe…" He growled standing up as she came into the room, hand on her side.

Philly and Christopher stood up right away, surprised to see her up and moving around when Marco had told her to stay put.

Marco pushed himself up from the sofa, glancing at the other two men. "Clean this shit up." He muttered, looking at the empty beer bottles and containers on the coffee table. He stepped quickly over to Joe. "I told you to stay in bed." He told her, reaching out to run his hand up her arm.

Joe nodded and looked down at his hand. "I just need to get cleaned up…I feel disgusting."

Marco grunted his acknowledgement. "I'll do it." He muttered.

Joe frowned at him. "Do what?" She asked.

"Get you showered and cleaned up. You shouldn't even be walking." He told her sternly.

Joe made a face at him, scrunching up her nose. "I can shower Marco. I was shot, not de-limbed."

Marco shook his head. "You're not doing anything for yourself got it? Me or one of the guys will get you anything you want or need." He nodded his head over to the other two men who nodded quickly.

Joe bit her lip hard to keep a smart ass remark in. She wasn't used to being taken care of and well he should definitely be babying her, helping her wash was something she wasn't willing to give into. "In that case I could really use something to drink."

Philly wobbled over quickly. "What do you want Joe? I got us some milk and orange juice…maybe a beer."

Joe smiled lightly at him. "Beer would be great."

Marco growled down at her. "I'll get you some juice. You don't need a fucking beer with all those pain meds." He shot his cousin a look of annoyance before stalking towards the kitchen.

Joe smirked to herself before taking off past Philly as fast as she could. "Joe what are you…" Philly called as Joe pushed into the bathroom and quickly knocked the door. Marco pushed back into the room with a half poured glass. "She just ran for it!" Philly exclaimed.

Marco curled his lip and charged over to the bathroom door, pulling the knob as he heard the shower turn on. "Joanne! Open this door."

Joe pulled her shirt over the head with a wince of pain. She gasped at it but covered her mouth so that the enraged man on the other side of the door wouldn't hear it. "Sorry Marco…but you are not helping me wash and take care of female business."

Marco yanked on the door hard. "Stubborn little bitch!" He yelled threw it.

Joe smiled and shook her head to herself as she pulled her underwear off. "Controlling bastard!" She laughed back. "Your boys can cook for me, you can keep me locked up in your room; hell you can even have Philly braid my hair if you want but you are not helping me with this one. Now go away so I can pee!"

Marco banged his head on the door softly before looking up and rubbing his lips. "You are in so much trouble when you come out of there!" He yelled through the door.

Joe stuck her hand under the water, testing its heat before stepping in. She hissed in pain and slumped against the wall as it hit her stitches.

Marcos head shot up at the sound. "Joe!?"

"I'm fine." She called out through gritted teeth. "I'm okay Marco…geez. I have been hurt before you know?"

Marco braced his hands on either side of the door frame and shook his head. "Not anymore." He muttered to himself.

Joe wrapped a towel around herself, feeling a bit better after getting all of the dirt and sweat off of herself. The water had hurt on the stitches and she could tell that it was a bit red around it but she had done her best to keep the water and soap from directly hitting it. She was going to have to thank whoever had gone and gotten the female shampoos and soaps from the store….probably Philly of Christopher. She could not see Marco stepping foot in that aisle without bursting into flames like a demon in church.

Unlocking the door she stepped out only to find a chest in front of her and a set of blazing blue eyes. Marco hurled her up immediately, unwilling to let her do anything else for herself and carried her in his unyielding, vice like arms over to his room, kicking his door shut behind him.

He licked his lips as he dropped her feet down next to his bed. "Get in the bed and you're going to stay there." He told her.

Joe crossed her arms over her chest with a sigh. "Marco you cant just-"

He grabbed her face and kissed her hard, effectively shutting her up and proving his point the he could do exactly what he wanted. His tongue threaded and spiraled around hers. "If you had done what I said when I told you to come with me, Jimmy wouldn't have chocked you." He muttered before pressing her down with his hands on her shoulders so that she sat on the bed. He pulled his shirt over his head and climbed in behind her. "If you did what I said and stayed at the house," He pulled her down to lay next to him. "You wouldn't have gotten shot."

Joe gulped down. "If you hadn't been so hell bent on revenge none of this would have happened." She told him as he rested his forearm on her hip.

"You wouldn't be here if I hadn't been." He reminded her pushing some of the wet dark hair from her face. "Don't fight me on this."

Joe let out a breath of resignation. She reached out slowly and touched his face, running her middle finger along the scar on his jaw. "Do you want me here Marco…or is this a guilt thing?"

Marco let out a chuckle to cover his unease. "I don't ever feel guilty Joe…I'm a bad man remember?"

Joe bit into her lips as her eyes searched over his, moving from one to the other as if trying to read something. "I can leave if you want. I know I can't do anything that you wanted me for-"

"You're staying." Marco snapped at her suddenly.

Joe frowned and looked down at his chest as his hand came out to stroke her arm lightly with the tips of his fingers. "Stay here?"

Marco nodded. "Yeah…yeah I'm fucking exhausted anyway. Making sure you don't get into trouble is tiring." He mocked.

Joe scrunched up her nose making the mole on his upper lip twitch in a hidden smile. "You are trouble."

The next few days moved along in the same manner. If Marco wasn't there and was off with Fritzy or doing other unnameable business he didn't want her to know (That they all knew she already knew) about Philly was there to watch out for her and make sure she didn't do anything stupid or lift anything heavy.

She actually really liked Philly and Christopher. They were like two little boys tripping over themselves to make sure she was happy and that Marco was happy that she was happy. Once the lead Viper left though she would calm them down and they would start behaving more like brothers, playing cards or watching TV with her. She showed them how to cook some of the food Philly had brought. Philly was in starving need of praise and she had the vague reminder that Marco really wasn't one for positive reinforcement. When she would tell him good or thank him, the blundering, big mobster would actually blush like a princess just gave him a kiss on the cheek.

The moment Marco was spotted or meant to be home though she would be propped up and asked a million questions again to make sure that she was alright and happy before Marco came back to scrutinize their work.

Marco was hard about it. He would come in with food and order her to eat, trying to look hard while he did something tender. She could tell that he was struggling with this new found need to keep her safe…to keep anyone safe. It wasn't at all that his resolve on it was waning. He just didn't know how to do it.

He also seemed to be getting frustrated with the fact that he couldn't touch her…sexually anyway. Their entire…relationship if that's what it was called, was based on him trying to get her into bed and now that she was there permanently he couldn't do anything that might make her injury worse. She wasn't making it any easier. At night Joe would slip into his side as he lay on his back with his arms behind his head. Her leg would move over his and he could remember exactly what it felt like to have her under him, on top of him and in front of him. He'd have to push the thoughts away angrily but it didn't stop him from waking up with a situation pressed into her back.

She had tried to let him a few times, kissing his chest and running her hand along his leg. He'd bitten into the inside of her lip and insisted in a strangled voice that she stop and that she wasn't ready. Suggesting ways into his ear had made him breath deeper and pissed him off too, frustrating him to no end but he knew that any of those things would rip her stitches.

"Dammit woman! Stop!" He'd finally chocked out as her breath touched the skin behind his ear. She had snickered a bit in his ear and he thought he might be able to finish without even being touched.

Joe sighed as she woke up the fourth day there. Stretching out she found that she was alone in the bed. She frowned to herself.

The morning after the shower incident, she had woken up and found Marco gone his spot in the bed cold. She had rubbed her eyes and walked into the kitchen to find him counting through money made the night before, presumably by one of his dealers. He'd glanced up at her and told her to go back to bed. Without a word she had taken his hand and pulled him away from his work, fingers curled around his. She pulled the confused, stubborn man with her and guided him down beside her in the bed, all without a word. Silently she snuggled her face into his chest and kissed his heart over the wife beater. His arms slowly wrapped around her once he realized he didn't hate what was going on and she had fallen back to sleep.

Pulling herself up this morning she could hear a voice that she didn't know coming from the living room along with Marco's.

"Don't want to do this here anymore Fritzy." Marco said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No time to take it down to the club Marco." The other man said. "Leon isn't going to stop. Far as he's concerned you killed his brother and took his sister. Kid wants a war."

Joe leaned her head against the wall as she listened unnoticed from the kitchen. She closed her eyes. Leon didn't want a war for her. She was just an excuse. He wanted a war so that he could come after Marco out of revenge.

"He can have his fucking war." Marco sneered.

Frizty sighed. "Just give the punk the girl back Marco. There are bigger things going on here. More lucrative things."

Marco's throat tightened. "I didn't take her. She came with me and she's mine. Everyone but that little prick seems to get it."

Joe licked her lips and leaned back. Marco would be going out with Fritzy today. She could get past Philly easy; let him think that she was napping as Marco commanded in his weird but somewhat endearing form of taking care of her. She'd sneak out and go talk this out with Leon in front of everyone. Lay down the truth. If the rest of the group knew it that she was with Marco by choice than they would feel less inclined to fight…at the least. She could get back before the lead Viper even knew she was gone.

She nodded to herself and slipped back into the bedroom, unheard by the two men.


	24. Chapter 24

**JavaNut: Yes he is. All hell bent on revenge. **

**Melissa: Lol! She doesn't want him to see the wound that much. I know what you mean about the bad guys that are good to their girls. **

**DeviantDames: Oh my god! I could not stop laughing at the "extremely sexy dark nurse" comment! Killing me. I just keep picturing him with one of those old style nurse caps but all black and red instead of shite…smoking. Hahaha.**

**VeritasKym: It was real. Leon just can't get over his little need for revenge….stupid. **

**Gurl: **** I know what you're waiting for….sorry. Next chapter. **

**Leyshia Gisel: Its sad because she's straddling worlds and she wants both of them to live. **

**Knyte: When Marco tells you to get your ass in bed for ANY reason, you get your ass in bed.**

**Please comment guys! I lost a few people the last few chapters so let me know if you are still here!**

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

Marco pushed open the door to his bedroom and stood there, looking at the young woman in his bed. She was sitting down but had her head on her knees, her spine curved under one of his too large shirts. He cleared his throat, backing her eyes dart up to him, her hair laying in soft waves around her shoulders and over the gap of his shirt on her neck.

She licked her lips as he leaned against the door frame and looked at her. Joe braced her forearms up on her knees and leaned until them again. "He's still saying that you raped me isn't he?" She asked him.

Marco chewed on the inside of his lip. "He's not saying that anymore. But no one thinks you're here by choice." He murmured, eyes focusing on the end of the bed. "Guess I brain washed you or something."

Joe nodded slowly and rested her shin on his arms looking at him. "I want to be here." She answered without him having to ask. "I meant what I said. I do-"

Marco looked up at her sharply, cutting her off. "I know you did Joe. You're a lot of things…but you can't lie." He took a few steps closer to the bed. "I've got some business with Fritzy."

Joe tried to keep her voice casual and his stride brought him next to her, towering over her. She could see why others were intimidated by him sometimes. "When will you be back?"

Marco squinted down at her before tilting her chin up. "When I'm done." He told her simply. Joe nodded. Not exactly a wonderful time line to work with but prying probably would give her away. "You need anything, let Philly know." He murmured running his fingers through the ends of her hair as he sat down next to her for a moment. "Anything at all. I need you to get better."

Joe gave a little smile. "That poor man." She told him. Marco raised his eyebrows as Joe pulled herself up and into his lap for a moment, legs on either side of him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "He's going to hate me by the time this is over."

Marco shook his head and rested his hands on her bare thighs. "Who gives a fuck?" He muttered.

Joe seemed to consider for a moment as his thumbs draw circles on her skin without him even realizing it. "I give a fuck." She shrugged. "I want you your family to like me."

Marco tried to resist an evil cackle but couldn't help it. "Sweetheart. You are their fucking dream come true. You make me want to stay in bed and not kill them."

Joe couldn't help but smile and press her lips to his bottom one slowly, than the top and finally the side. He didn't respond, just let her, still growing used to the sweet actions. "Then you better go so you can get back here." Joe finally said.

Marco grunted an affirmative before reaching up and pulling her neck to bring her lips hard to his. He wanted her again insanely bad right now. The past few days had been nothing short of a teasing hell for him. He mirrored what he wanted to do to her body with his tongue, thrusting it in and out quickly. Her arms tightened around his thick neck as she tried to keep up while he carefully rolled her back onto the bed, leaning over her. Pulling his mouth away he nipped at her neck and ran his hand up her good side as her legs came up to his sides. He let out a groan and pushed them back down hard, large hands taking up most of her thighs. "No." He muttered pulling away from her neck and leaning over her.

Joe made a strangled sound of disappointment. "They were right…you are a mean man." She whimpered, making him grin. He moved to push the shirt up. She didn't like him seeing the ugly healing skin on her side. She had liked it little enough when it was just a bruise but now the ugly black stitching made her was to hide "Marco don't look at it…"

Of course he didn't listen, leaning over the healing skin. "6 more days and they'll take them out sweetheart." He muttered, running his lips around it. Scars and bruising didn't bother him. He didn't like them on her but it wasn't as sickening to him as she thought it was. "If you're good and take it easy, they'll heal right and then we can stay in here as long as we want."

Joe bit her lip, knowing her plan as he ran his hands along her face. "That's going to be a really long time."

Marco nodded, feeling his cock tighten in his pants at the thought. "You have no idea." He muttered darkly before pushing himself up.

Joe waited until she heard the sound of a car pulling away before she quickly pulled on her clothing. She sighed and smoothing her hair into a pony tail, running her fingers through it. She glanced at the door before shoving some of the pillows under the blankets in case Philly did pop his head in to see if she was alright.

"Hey Philly?" She called. "I'm going to open the window. Get some fresh air moving in here."

"Sounds good Joe." Philly called without taking his eyes from the TV screen in the living room. "Want some coffee of something?"

Joe closed her eyes. Marco was right she was a horrible liar and she felt guilty just tricking to poor brute. She would feel even worse when she came back and had to actually use the door to get in but at that point she would be back and there would be nothing the big man could do about it. He wouldn't tell Marco because he wouldn't want him to know she had snuck off at all. "No…no I'm not feeling great. I think I'm just going to go back to sleep."

"You got it hon." Philly responded, distracted.

Joe slipped over to the window and pulled at the chipping frame, feeling how sticky it was from years or not being moved. "Shit…" She whispered as she pulled at it, finally feeling the paint give and it come open a little. Re angling her arms she pushed it up overhand. Sticking her head out she saw that it was only about a four foot drop from the window frame. Glancing over her shoulder, she made sure one last time that Philly wasn't coming to the door and climbed up, swinging her legs over the frame and dropping to the outside.

* * *

Scooch looked up from where he was eating a pretzel at the counter at Willies as the front door's bell jingled. He jumped up at the sight of his cousin coming in, a small smile on her pink lips at the sight of him.

"Joe!" He jumped up and ran over, hugging her around the middle.

Joe tried to hold back the cringe. Her side had gotten jolted in the jump from the window and walking here hadn't exactly been as easy or painless as it had been a week ago. "Hey buddy." She said, holding him out when he released. "How are you doing?"

Some of the others had come to gather and see what was going on by now too, gripping her shoulder. "I'm good. Really good." Scooch said quickly. "What about you?"

"I'm great Scooch…let's sit down alright? I had a long walk." She pulled herself into one of the chairs as the other boys gathered around, eager to hear news and what was going on. Scooch was looking at her expectantly. "Sweetie, I'm alright I swear." She glanced at the others. "I'm being really well taken care of."

"But you are at Marco's right?" One of the guys asked her while they all looked at her nervously.

Joe nodded and pressed her hand to her side. "Look guys…we need to talk. All of us. I don't know what you've heard…"

"We heard that Marco just showed up and took you from your place." Tino told her.

Joe frowned. "I went on my own." She told them stubbornly. Yeah he hadn't actually asked but Marco never asked. If you had a problem with it than you had to fight on it and she definitely hadn't fought. "I'm there because I want to be. Where's Leon?"

Tino leaned forward. "He's on his way." He told her taking her hands. "Joe, seriously. Are you alright?"

Joe nodded with a genuine smile. "Guys I know this is probably hard to understand but I'm great and I'm safe. I've never been waited on so much in my life." She looked up as the door opened and Bobby and Leon walked in. Their eyes immediately found her in the gaggle of men. "Leon…we need to talk." She told him.

Leon scrunched up his eyebrows and nodded. "Guys, you can go." He told them.

Joe shook her head. "No. They need to hear this." She took a deep breath. "I don't want to have to pick a side here. I love you all but Marco and I-"

"You don't have to worry about Marco." Bobby told her. "We'll keep him away from you from now on."

Joe sighed and frowned at them. "I don't want him kept away from me! Guys Marco and I are _together." _

Leon frowned and pulled up a chair in front of her. "Marco doesn't have girls Joe. He has whores."

"I'm not his whore." Joe shot at him quickly and sharply. "Leon please. I'm begging you to listen to me here. I'm not leaving Marco and I don't want to leave you guys either. I love you all but I'm in love with Marco and you need to accept that!" They all looked at her in shock. "I know that what happened was horrible. Ali shouldn't have been using heroin. He shouldn't have died."

"Marco and Jimmy shouldn't have given him a hot shot." Bobby put in.

Joe shook her head. "It was an over dose Bobby. It happens to drug addicts all the time. And Jimmy was the one who sold those drugs to Ali."

"Marco told you this and you just believe him?" Tino asked her.

"I do." Joe told them all, sounding sympathetic. "Marco wanted to kill you because he thought you were the rat. Now he knows it was Jimmy and that score was settled." She looked back at Leon who was growing more and more angry by the moment, shifting in the chair, brown eyes narrowing. "I can talk to Marco…ask him not to deal in Sunset Park. He'll do it for me. But if you guys keep fighting over this it's only going to lead to more people getting hurt. Nothing can be done to bring Ali back…and Marco didn't brain wash me, kidnap me or rape me. There is no reason for anyone else to die!"

Leon shook his head. "I can't do that Joe."

She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath before opening them and looking around. Her words at least seemed to be sinking in with some of the guys, including Bobby and Tino.

Leon looked over the girl carefully. "You need to pick Joe."

She took a sharp breath, her heart beating up in the back of her throat. "Don't make me do that Leon." She half whispered as Scooch reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Come on Leon." Tino said. "You heard her. He's taking care of her and she loves him. She slapped him and he still didn't even hurt her."

"He got her shot!" Leon snapped.

Joe shook her head pressure and tears welling in her head at the thought of picking in between a man that had said he was her brother and the man that she loved and that had actually been taking very good care of her the past few days. "I got myself shot."

"It's not right to make her pick." Scooch put in.

Leon looked back at her, leaning forward. "Him or me Joe? Right now."

* * *

Marco opened the door to his room, scratching at his neck as he shut it behind him and looked at the little lump in his bed. He still had shit to take care of. Fritzy had arranged a warehouse for them to use to bag and store the incoming drugs and he wanted to check it out before anything was loaded into it. Still he had stopped at home first just to grab a beer and look in on the girl. Philly had told him that she said she wasn't feeling great and he thought maybe their little make out session this morning might have twisted her the wrong way under him.

"Joe?" He came over to the bed and frowned before sitting down next to it.

He took a deep breath and let out a little grin to himself. Maybe he wouldn't go check out the warehouse this afternoon. He'd send Philly out to do it and stay here. He'd never wanted to do that before. The thought of curling up with his woman was overwhelming.

Reaching out he ran his hand over where her hip should be, surprised when it sunk into a soft surface. "Joe?!" He practically jumped up from the side of the bed and ripped the blankets away to see the two pillows there instead of her little body.

"PHILLY!" He bellowed glancing at the open window. He remembered Joe climbing in and out of the tiny space at her uncles apartment with a snarl. She could have torn her stitch's jumping…she could be wandering on the street bleeding! "YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" He screamed at his cousin as he charged back out of the house.

* * *

Joe took a deep breath and pushed at her damp cheeks as she opened the front door to the house. She gulped down as she heard rushed movement from inside followed By Philly cursing as he slammed into one of the chairs in the kitchen.

"Joe!?" Christopher's voice called.

"Yeah its me." Joe said as she walked slowly into the kitchen to see the two men looking both relived and pissed off. She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself as she tried to hold back emotion and banish the tears from behind her eyes.

"Where the hell did you go!" Philly yelled at her. "Marco came home and found you gone and freaked out! Half of his guys are out there looking for you!"

Joe nodded, feeling numb, tired and sad. She could feel new tears of emotion springing up as Philly pushed over towards her, eyes running up and down her to make sure she was alright. "I'm okay." She told them.

"Well you're not going to be when Marco gets back!" Philly bellowed at her, starting to walk past her to get to a phone to pass the word out. He stopped as he saw her unwrap her arms from around herself.

Joe took a deep breath as she hugged onto the huge man, her face coming to rest on his shoulder. Philly frowned and flushed not sure what to do or what to make of this. He looked over his shoulder at Christopher and raised his eyebrows in a 'what do I do' motion as he felt the hot tears on her cheeks. The other man shrugged, caught between laughing and being confused himself. "Its….It's okay Joe." He said, turning even redder and patting her back awkwardly. "Whatever it is…it's okay."

Joe nodded into the fat of his shoulder. "I didn't want to choose…they made me choose."

Christopher pressed his lips together and nodded to himself. "It's okay Joe. You're home." He muttered, rubbing the top of her head on Philly's shoulder as the man blushed and she cried softly.


	25. Chapter 25

**Co-sign all of the Leon (stupid, jerk, dammit ect) I know. She had to choose but he shouldn't have made her in front of everyone. You will find out who for sure in this chapter I promise.**

**WaterWarrior6: I am glad that you liked that reaction. It sucks because he was thinking about how much he actually wanted to be there with her and I think that's kind of hard for him to admit.**

**knyte: Lol for some reason I really like writing her interactions with Philly! Its like he thought this was Marco's girl so she would be something different and he just doesn't know how to deal with her.**

**gurl3677: Dirty girl here you go!**

_**Just FYI people. This chapter had a DO NOT READ IN PUBLIC WARNING on it. Thank you to Knyte and Gurl for helping me right it because it is possibly the dirtiest thing I have ever written. :P**_

**Chapter Twenty Five:**

Joe flipped one of the burgers over in the pan and closed her eyes for a moment before returning her gaze to the pan and flipping the other. She knew that she was going to get it when Marco got home. Philly had caught him on the phone at the club and told him that she was back. He'd snapped at the other man that he had to check out the warehouse and to keep a better eye on her before hanging up the phone on him.

She didn't want to fight right now…didn't want to feel. She wanted to finish making the boys dinner and crawl into a hole. Giving up her brothers was not what she wanted to do but she had to pick a side and going away from the man she loved would not stop Leon from wanting to kill him.

Christopher squeezed her shoulder as he snagged a slice tomato from in front of her and she felt a fresh wave of tears enter her eyes.

Marco slammed the door open, drawing all of their attention to it as he stalked into the kitchen. His eyes immediately locked on the girl standing in nothing but his too large t-shirt, rage and worry bubbling in him. "What the hell were you thinking?!" He immediately yelled as Joe turned around and handed two plates to Philly and Christopher.

"Marco I'm s-"

"Shut up!" He growled. "You jumped out of a god damned window! I told you to stay here and you go running off!"

"I came back." He had no idea how big a deal that was; that her choice had been to come back here and get screamed at.

"I said shut up!" Marco yelled again, worry leaking through the cracks in his voice. "Cant you just fucking do what I say and stay safe! Ever? Do you want to die or something!? I had half of the vipers out there looking for a girl bleeding to death in the streets!"

"Marco I'm fine!" Joe hissed back, the fresh tears prickling at her eyes.

Marco took a deep breath through his nose, finally seeing her red rimmed eyes from crying when she got back and the fresh moisture. "Come here." He muttered through clenched teeth, reaching out and pulling her to him. He crushed his face against his chest, cradling the back of her head with his hand.

He glanced up as he saw the two men look down at their dinner, growling at them. "And what the fuck do you two think you're doing? Letting her cook for you after she's been out all fucking day?"

"She needed a distraction…" Christopher tried.

"I'll give her a fucking distraction." He muttered under his breath.

Marco pulled Joe back into the room and slammed the door shut behind him angrily. He was going to beat the shit out of those two for letting her cook for them after sneaking out. He had spent far too long looking for her on the streets and trying to figure out where she would go.

"I told you to stay in bed and for them to take care of you! Not the other way around!" He snarled.

Joe frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not used to being waited on Marco!" She told him back looking him up and down and seeing the way he shifted. Obviously seeing her in his t-shirt did something for him besides piss him off. "Besides maybe you should be the one 'taking care' of me."

Marco growled low at her. This was his girl but she just did not know when she was playing with fire. "Get on the bed." He ordered sharply. Joe frowned and looked confused for a moment, her little eyebrows knitting together. "You heard me. You say you're fine so get on the bed. And take my fucking shirt off."

Joe cocked her head to the side, unwilling to back down. Marco gritted his teeth and stepped closer, grabbing the hem of the black shirt and pulling it up harshly, still careful to make sure it didn't touch the healing wound. "Get on the bed." He purred darkly.

Joe felt her breath catch but did, surprised when he started to pull at his belt and nudge his pants down, watching her darkly as she crawled backward. This was just what she needed…just what she wanted. Another reminder of why she was here. She winced as she felt the stitches in her side and Marco shook his head. "See sweetheart….you want this," He pulled himself out slowly, eyes running up and down her body as he began to stroke himself. "You've got to heal."

Joe licked her lips slowly as she watched his arms and shoulders work, flexing and moving under his skin and tattoos. It was amazing to watch, his hand moving up and down on himself as his burning blue eyes ate her alive like fuel. "I'm healed enough now." She said quietly.

Marco smirked to himself and gripped tighter as he saw her legs move against each other. "Not for what I want to do to you." He murmured huskily as his eyes darted up to the plain white panties she was wearing. "Spread those." He ordered.

Joe bit her lip and shook her head, embarrassed slightly. She didn't know why. They had had sex before…kind of rough sex. He's gone down on her so it wasn't like he hadn't seen that. Still, as she watching him get hard in his hand it was hard not to be embarrassed while turned on at the same time. He gave her a commanding look as he raised his eyebrow and waited, slowing down the strokes on his already ridged length. Joe took a deep breath and opened her legs for him.

Marco licked across his bottom lip and looked at her chest starting to move faster, her little pink nipples hardening as she watching him getting himself going. "I'm not going to touch you. Not til you get better…so you should do what I say and rest."

He pushed his thumb down on his head and groaned as she nodded. He wanted to touch her…wanted to suck on those peaks, wanted in between those legs. He increased his rhythm on himself remembering what was under that cotton and how deliciously tight, warm and wet it was. "Push those to the side." He half grunted.

Joe let out a breath, feeling heated watching him. Every muscle on his body was tensing and moving. His shoulders and biceps worked as he brought himself closer and closer. She let out a little whimper as her own fingers skimmed across her as she moved the panties to the side so he could see where he wanted to be.

"Don't touch yourself." He muttered. Yeah he wanted to see that but half of this was to make her do what he said so he could get back inside of her faster. The other half was his sadistic side punishing her for not listening in the first place; for making him worry the way he had been all day. He moved harder on himself, breaths deepening when he saw that she was already went for him without him touching her.

"Marco please?" She pleaded, whimpering with desire.

Marco felt his lip twitch as his resolved gave just the tiniest of bit at the sight of her in front of him, begging for him, obviously enjoying this. For an innocent little thing she sure as hell liked when his was dirty with her. Seeing her begging for him…now that was insanely arousing. Leaning forward he ran the knuckles of his other hand up the inside of her thigh, just barely grazing the soft skin as he worked his way up.

Joe closed her eyes as her head went back, his fingers moving closer to her exposed center. Her body tensed and shivered just the way he wanted. He pulled away just before he got there, making her give a whining, pleading sound.

"No." He murmured, grinning as he squeezed his tip, feeling a few drops of moisture escape. He caught them with his thumb while he continued to move hard and fast. "Come here." He commanded, voice rough.

Joe nodded quickly, excited and thinking his actually might let her kiss him or touch him. She slid up in front of him to where he was still standing at the end of the bed, pants wedged down just enough on his hips to let him work. Instead she felt his thumb press in between her lips. She immediately sucked off the salty sweet liquid, running her tongue around his thumb and nail to make sure she got all of it.

Marco groaned and went to pull his thumb away as he felt his balls twitch with the impending orgasm. Joe grabbed his wrist, surprising him and sucked his thumb all the way into her mouth hard. "Fuck!" He gasped out as he squeezed himself hard. He panted and looked down at her. "Shit Joe. Harder…oh shit, I'm going to have to let you suck on something else…" He groaned as he felt her tongue experimentally slide up his thumb.

She could see him twitching, straining, his cock longing and reaching out to get inside her while he denied it the one thing that it really wanted.

He felt the rush building from deep in his shaft and curled his lips, using the hand she was sucking on to bring her face up to look at him. "Shit!" He swore as he felt himself start to cum with her starring up at him.

Joe nipped on his thumbs tip, watching his working and pulsing neck go back as she felt hot liquid rush onto her thigh. He ran his cock down her thigh as he came, enjoying the soft skin against him. She whimpered against his hand and let his thumb and wrist go.

Marco took a deep shaky breath, looking down at her again for a long minute as the last drops left him. He reached down and grabbed his shirt that she had been wearing off the floor. He rubbed it along her thigh, making her shiver as he cleaned himself off her.

Joe took a deep breath. "Kiss me?"

Marco immediately pushed himself up on his knees and kissed her hard, tongue snaking into her mouth, twinning with hers and pulling at it. His hands came to both sides of her face, stoking her cheeks firmly with his fingers. He pulled away but kept a firm grip on her face. "Get in the shower. And for shits sake Joe! Get better!"

Joe gave a little laugh and reached up, gripping up onto his forearms. He helped pull her up with the grip. Joe bit her lip. "You…you could go to someone else." She muttered, thinking in the back of her mind that he might already be. It hadn't really occurred to her until this moment.

Marco looked at her sharply as he redid his pants. She started to walk away, surprised at herself that she had even said it, when his hand jetted out and grasped her forearm pulling her back roughly. "None of them will even feel as good as you." He growled.

Joe looked up at him, her heart in her throat. He had just gotten off. If there was ever a time that a man like Marco would be vulnerable this was it. "Why?" She asked quietly. "Why me?"

Marco pursed his lips together into a frown, looking down at her with his eyebrows drawn together. Her big brown eyes were pleading but almost afraid too. "Go shower." He repeated in a low murmur.

Joe gave a shuddering sigh and nodded as he released her arm. She should have known…she did know. He would never say it even if part of her already knew. She slipped past him, grabbing a clean shirt and pulling it over her head.

Marco watched her back disappear, rubbing his lips. Because he didn't want to hurt her. Because if she was hurt again he would carve out his own fucking heart in guilt. Because if he was ever with another woman he'd pretend it was her. Because he loved her.

Joe turned her head over her shoulder as she reached the door, pausing on the knob. "Someday I really hope you'll say it." She told him as he looked at her, fingers still rubbing at his lips. She shook her head and left the room for the shower.

"Fuck." Marco muttered. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" He yelled at himself. Running his hands through his hair he took a deep breath before going into the other room.

Christopher was sitting at the table, glancing up at him. "She didn't mean to worry you boss." He muttered, going to the refrigerator and getting a beer. He opened it and placed it in front of Marco as the leader lit up a cigarette and took a drag from it, blowing out a thick stream of smoke.

"Wasn't worried." He lied hard. Christopher was smart enough not to say anything back.

"She went to talk to them Deuce boys." Christopher told him. Marco's hand tightened around the bottle. "Came back here….crying. Leon made her choose."

Marco took a long swig from his beer. "Choose what?"

Christopher gave him a pointed look. "Them or you."

Marco frowned and took another long sip. She had come back here. She'd just let him cum all over her so he was guessing that she had chosen him. She'd said that she hoped he'd someday tell her what she needed to know to affirm her decision to stay.

"She picked you." Christopher muttered. "Left people that she's considered her family for more than two years."

Marco nodded, leaning back in the chair. He wasn't going to even mention her picking a side. At least not until she was healed. If she had picked Leon he didn't want her wandering around or put back into the apartment when she couldn't defend herself. Plus he had wanted to make sure she knew just how well she would be taken care of here. "We'll all just have to make sure she doesn't regret that." He muttered, ashing the rest of the smoke.

* * *

Marco bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at Joe sleeping on his chest. Her hair tickled and teased the naked skin as her arm lay loosely over his stomach while she slept. He picked up one of the strands and looked at It as he thought about the words that she said to him so easily, as if they took no thought at all.

He'd done next to nothing to deserve or earn that. It was as though it was inherent in her.

"Joe?" He murmured down, watching as she stayed nestled in sleep against him. Her pink lips pressed into his chest and he could feel the tiny breaths over his heart warming his skin and making him shiver from time to time.

"Joe I…" He stopped and furrowed her eyebrows, his tongue working in his mouth as he sounded them out and experimented with them. He sighed and rubbed his hand over her smooth thigh that rested across his legs.

"I love you." He murmured quietly, glancing down at her quickly to make sure she hadn't heard. He let out a long hissing breath of thankfulness, mentally noting that it hadn't killed him, he still had a pulse and his dick seemed to still be intact-ed.

Leaning his face down against the top of her head, he closed his eyes and nodded to himself as his fingers drifted though her hair and she tightened her hold on him.


	26. Chapter 26

**Knyte: Who are you kidding. You are always an accessory! Give me Gurl back! She's mine! **

**Gurl: I'm glad! This one should be pretty up there too. PS. You're mine. Don't let her take you! **

**VeritasKym: Lol it is foreign to him! I know and he just made her watch while he got off to her. So hot! In all fairness she was always going to have to choose but Marco knew better. I wonder even though I'm writing it if he knew that Leon was going to make her do it first so that he looked like the good guy. I mean he loves her but he is still Marco. **

**Leyshia Gisel: haha a good something I hope!? **

**JavaNut: Leon was totally a dick! In the Movie too. I wanted to scream the whole time for him to get off his high horse! **

**Water warrior: I did that once and I was going to do it again but it seemed repetitive. First step is always admitting it to himself. **

**Coconutcarter: I think we all want to be distracted by Marco….I love Philly and Joes relationship. Its like she gives him one kind word and he says "I'll love you forever!" I watched Red Cayon….omg. Read the authors note. Gurl has already requested my particular brand of fucked upness for a fic on that. **

**Well everyone this is it for Joe and Marco for now. I was going to end it on the last chapter but figured you'd want one last taste of Marco Joe action and would want to find out what they were planning on for the future. I really hope that you all enjoyed it. I hope that I kept Marco in character enough for everyone but still made him human enough to love Joanne. Please let me know what you all thought even though this story is finished. Let me know if there is an over whelming need for a squeal!**

**I have a request for a Red Canyon story that is going to be seriously messed up so keep an eye out for that sickness I will blast into your brain! **

**As always thank you for all of your support and love! **

***Nymph***

**Chapter Twenty Six:**

One Month later:

Joe looked at the black dress in the mirror, soothing it out over her hips and healed side. She closed her eyes for a long minute. This was his own fault. He'd done this to himself. She had tried to warn him, his brothers had tried to warn him but he kept pushing. They lived a dangerous life and dealt with dangerous people. No one was a knight in shining armor and he couldn't expect that. She still couldn't help the wave of sadness that passed through her.

Opening her eyes she saw Marco leaning in the doorway, watching her body as she continued to fix the dress. When she had asked him that if he had had anything to do with it he hadn't bothered to lie. He knew Fritzy was gunning for him but hadn't been part of the actual hit himself. They had all known it. Hell even she had known it. He rubbed his lips as his blue eyes took her in from the tips of her toes up the deep cut of the back of the dress, along the line of her neck. Finally he caught her eyes in the mirror. "You sure you want to go to this?" He asked her.

Joe nodded. "He was my friend…they all were."

"Take one of the guys with you." He didn't want her there alone. It would cause a stir if it was him that went and be seen as mocking. She didn't want that.

Joe shook her head with a little smile at him in the mirror. "And who's going to volunteer to go to a deuce funeral."

Marco shrugged. "Ask Philly. He follows you around like a god waiting for his bone. I've never seen a man with more of a mother complex to you."

Joe shook her head and laughed. "It's a funeral Marco…I don't want to be disrespectful and start something. Plus Scooch will be there." She stopped for a moment as he came up behind her, hands moving down over the outside of her thighs before coming back up over the backs of them and pulling the hem of the dress up with them. She closed her eyes. "I am going to start looking for apartments…now that Leon's gone he needs to be with someone. Betsy has enough shit of her plate…" She stopped and tried not to grin as his hands squeezed her ass.

Marco licked his lip as he looked down at where his hands gripped her before looking up in the mirror. "You wanna move out?" He asked her coldly over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

Joe shivered but tried to hold onto her composure as Marco kneaded into the backs of her thighs with his fingers. His look clearly said 'you really think I'm going to let that happen?' "I don't want to but Scooch…"

His breath was hot on her ear as he leaned in and nipped at the corner of it. "You're not leaving." He murmured low. "That means the kid has to stay here than fat fuck Philly can give up his room. He's been living off me long enough." His fingers slide the pair of black panties down.

Joe shook her head to herself, leaning it back against his chest. "I can't let you do that…you're already sending me to nursing school…"

Marco kicked her legs apart, making her lift up her foot to rid them of the black lacy material. "You know better than to fight me. Besides one of us has to at least appear respectable." He told her with a little smirk, nipping her jaw.

Joe let out a little smile. "Marco I have to go to this-"

"You'll be late." He murmured as he undid his belt. He let his pants drop to the floor, kicked her legs farther open and bent his knees before thrusting up into her powerfully.

Joe moaned at the sudden fullness and fell forward onto the dresser as he grabbed her hips. "Fuck…" She hissed out as he withdrew and pushed into her again. Since she had gotten her stitches out there was no way to keep them both satisfied. And they tried…vigorously. All the time. Still it was as though the moment they were done neither could wait to get back at each other again.

He always looked like he was about to say something to. Not even during sex…more like every time he looked at her or caught her looking over at him; every night when they were about to fall asleep.

He groaned at the feeling of her clenching tightly around him, watching her in the mirror in front of him as she pushed back against him hard fast and wanting. Gripping a handful of her hair he gave it a swift tug up, concaving her back so that the angle switched and he could see her face in the mirror. Her mouth was open slightly, fighting back a scream of pleasure with her teeth scrapping the edge. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes squeezed closed.

"Open your eyes." He commanded with a panting breath of his own. "Watch."

Joe made a gasping noise. She couldn't…couldn't watch the look of pleasure on his face, the pulsing in his neck, the way his shoulders worked without cumming and he knew it.

"Joe!" She finally opened her wide eyes and caught his in the mirror as his thrusts slowly down. His tongue flicked out across his bottom lip as he looked down and watched himself disappear into her again. She made a whimpering sound and he looked up and her face again in the mirror. Her breasts pressed against the hard surface and he groaned as he watched the dress snag and nearly release them to him. Reaching the hand that wasn't in her hair around her waist he shimmied it up the dress and rubbed them in time with his thrusts.

Joe felt her head face forward and he pulled it back again, forcing her to watch as she got closer. She clenched around him purposefully and he hissed a sound of appreciation before his face fell to her back and kissed the skin there. "Don't do that!" He halfheartedly whispered.

Joe gave something close to a satisfied gasping giggle and pushed up on her hands. He released her hair and wrapped the arm around her chest, still watching them in the reflection of the mirror as her arm came up around his neck.

"Marco please!" She begged, pushing her ass back against his hips hard to make him go faster.

He growled and pushed her forward again, slamming her chest onto the dresser. "You're so rough!" He chuckled sadistically as he slammed into her hard and pushed down on her clit.

Joe fought to keep her eyes open, blinking as heat clenched at every part of her. "God…" She panted as she fought the searing orgasm that threatened to overtake her.

Marco gritted his teeth and pulled her head back up next to his as he leaned over her. "Don't fight it…" He purred in her ear, lips and teeth skimming the skin behind it.

Joe gave in…she always did when she felt his breath on her ear. He turned her chin back to the mirror, watching them both give into the overpowering wave of pleasure.

* * *

Joe let out a long breath as father Aldo finished the service. She gripped Scoochs shoulders in front of her as she felt her cousin shake with tears he was trying to hold back. "Go say good bye to Bobby Scooch." She whispered.

Scooch nodded as she sighed and the father came up to her. "Joanne." Father Aldo said. "Thank you for coming…I know things were hard."

"That doesn't make it right to forget about people." She murmured running her hand along the coffin. She looked back up. "I would have stayed with both of them if they'd let me. But he didn't."

Aldo nodded. "Pride…revenge…they are horrible things."

Joe nodded and pushed a tear away from her face, forcing a smile. "I'll see you around father." She muttered.

She spent the next half hour talking to everyone, catching up awkwardly. She had seen some of them around, coming into the shop or on the street. This was just as awkward as the rest of the encounters. Kind words, pleasantries. They didn't ask her about Marco or things that might bring up old wounds.

Taking a deep breath she looked over at one of the tree's off to the side, a bit away from everyone else. "I'll see you all around." She muttered, walking over towards the sound of a lighter clicking. Sticking her head around the trunk she let out a little smile at the man standing behind it. "You didn't have to come." She told him.

Marco tapped off the smoke and nodded, looking down at the falling ash. "I know you didn't want him to die." He told her.

"I didn't want you to die either." Joe reminded him. She glanced around to make sure that no one was looking before stepping up and against him. Marco nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, turning his head to the side to finish smoking. She leaned her cheek on his collarbone and closed her eyes to banish the people walking by in their black attire and crying.

Licking her lips she finally pulled her head away and pushed her single tear drop away. "I should go find Scooch…figure out that he wants to do." She muttered, wrapping her arms around herself and looking back at the dissipating group of people.

Marco frowned and pushed the butt of the smoke into the tree. He didn't like seeing her upset. Not at all. He hadn't even wanted her to come to this thing and let it upset her. She nodded to herself when he didn't answer and leaned forward, placing a small kiss on his cheek in a silent gesture to thank him for a little bit of support that neither of them wanted to admit was needed.

Joe inhaled the smell of the fresh cigarette on his skin and breath as comfort before moving to pull away. His hand shot up and grabbed the back of her head, holding her there just like he had months ago. He licked his lips for a moment before placing his lips close to her ear, telling her a soft, close to silent secret that they both knew.


End file.
